- Mast General Store
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Mast General Store
Nearest city: Valle Crucis, North Carolina Coordinates: 36°12′27.99″N 81°46′48.04″W / 36.207775°N 81.7800111°WCoordinates: 36°12′27.99″N 81°46′48.04″W / 36.207775°N 81.7800111°W Built: 1883 Architect: Unknown Architectural style: No Style Listed Governing body: Private NRHP Reference#: 73001383 [1] Added to NRHP: April 3, 1973 The Mast General Store is a store modeled after the general store concept from the 19th century. Today there are ten locations, including the original store located in Valle Crucis, North Carolina, which is widely recognized as a historical landmark. The store sells commodities, such as old-time hearth and home goods, outdoor clothing and gear, footwear, work clothes, old-fashioned wind-up toys, regional books and music, honey, and more than 500 varieties of old-fashioned candy.[2][3]
Contents
History
The building that would one day become the Mast General Store, was built in 1882 by Henry Taylor and opened in 1883. W.W. Mast purchased half interest in the store in 1897, and the store was renamed the "Taylor and Mast General Store". In 1913, Mast purchased the remaining half of Taylor's interest, and the business became known, as it is today, as the Mast General Store. The business stayed in the family through three generations until, in 1973, it was sold to a doctor from Atlanta and a professor from Appalachian State University. The business closed its doors in 1977. It would remain closed until John and Faye Cooper purchased and reopened it in June 1980. In 1996, the Mast Store became an employee-owned company.[4] The first store outside of the Valle Crucis area was opened in 1988 in Boone. It would be followed by three more stores, for a total of seven Mast General Stores in North Carolina. A Waynesville location opened in 1991, Hendersonville in August 1995, Asheville in 1999, and a smaller location in Blowing Rock in March 2005. The Blowing Rock store has since closed. March 2003 would see the first opening of a store outside of North Carolina, with a store opened in Greenville, South Carolina. The tenth, and newest, Mast General Store was opened on May 25, 2011 in Columbia, South Carolina.[5]
The Mast General Store in Valle Crucis as it looks today.
Historical Recognition
The Valle Crucis Mast General Store was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 1973.[6] North Carolina has recognized the valley in which it is located as the first Rural Historic District.[7] It also won the L. Vincent Lowe, Jr. Business Award from Preservation North Carolina in 1998. This award is given to businesses that make special efforts to assist and/or promote historic preservation in North Carolina[8]
The Mast General Store in Valle Crucis as it looked in the past.Green Power
The Mast General Store committed to purchasing 3.6 million kilowatt-hours per year of "Green Energy" in 2006. Traditional fossil fuel would create 750,000 pounds of carbon dioxide to generate the same amount of electricity. This commitment was part of a campaign by NCGreenPower to expand the use of renewable energy in North Carolina.[9]
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ City of Knoxville Press Release on the site of City of Knoxville. Accessed 21 February 2007.
- ^ Roadfood.com Review on the site of Roadfood. Accessed 21 February 2007.
- ^ Press Room at official website. Accessed 7 August 2008.
- ^ http://www.thestate.com/2011/05/25/1833720/its-official-mast-general-in-business.html
- ^ National Register of Historic Places[dead link] on the site of National Register of Historic Places. Accessed 21 February 2007.
- ^ Mast General Store on the site of Sherpa Guides. Accessed 21 February 2007.
- ^ Preservation NC Honor Awards Winners on the site of Preservation North Carolina. Accessed 21 February 2007.
- ^ Mast Store launches Green Power Plan on the site of Watauga Democrat. Accessed 21 February 2007.
Categories:- NRHP articles with dead external links
- Landmarks in North Carolina
- National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina
- Buildings and structures in Watauga County, North Carolina
- Visitor attractions in Watauga County, North Carolina
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