There is nothing more nostalgic than happening upon an old-fashioned general store on a back road in Upstate New York.  And we have plenty of them, from the Hudson Valley to Buffalo, and from the Catskills to the Adirondacks.

But here is a special one we really like.  This general store is located in a tiny Delaware County hamlet, with a population of roughly 1,000 residents.  The store is one of only two retail businesses in the community, and it is housed in a building that has acted as a general store for 150 years. There is only one blinking red light here and it is at the only intersection in town.

But this old-time general store?  Yes, it is something special.

A place where locals gather for gossip, good times, and groceries.  A place to buy bulk foods, hand-woven rugs, and some hand-dipped beeswax candles.  A place to enjoy whimsical art, nostalgic candy, and magazines that reflect on life in the rural mountain region that is home to the store.

The building looks rickety on the outside but is sturdy enough to head into its third century without looking back.  It is a place where the owner (who goes by just one name) mother-hens over her items, curating the specialty goods with an eye to what her customers are looking for.  And it is a place that others have finally found, with customers coming from 25 and 50 miles away to see "what the fuss is all about."

Yes, this is a special place.

We have written about our region's many general stores in the past (see stories about them below), but we feel that the Masonville General Store could very well be "the most charming old-fashioned general store in Upstate New York.

See what you think...

Is This the Most Charming Rural General Store in Upstate New York? We Think So!

There are many old-fashioned general stores scattered around the Upstate New York region. And we love them all.

They harken back to a simpler time no matter whether they are located in the Hudson Valley or in far Western New York. Kind of like a fantasy visit to Walton's Mountain, or even Mayberry R.F.D.

Here we shine the spotlight on what just might be the most charming of all of our general stores. Like the others, it is small, located in a tiny town, packed to the walls with good, foods, and gifts, and is run by a person who keeps an eye on the future but never forgets the past.

Check out this Delaware County general store. We think you will like it!

Here Are 10 More!! Did You Know This? 11 Vintage Upstate General Stores and Five and Dime Stores

We all have memories of those great little five-and-dime stores and general stores of our youth. They were the heartbeat of our communities. They sold just about everything, you could get a pretty good meal in most of them, and of course, the showstopper was always the rows of penny candies. Upstate still has plenty of these stores around (some of them 100, 150, 170 years old!). Here is a list to start you on your trip back to the general stores of your youth. They are all great!

 

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