One of the oldest general stores in North Carolina has been in business for 190 years! That’s easily anywhere from 6.3 to 9.5 generations, if you figure a generation spans from 20 to 30 years.

Welcome to Washburn's General Store in Bostic, located about 70 miles to the west of Charlotte and 70 miles to the east of Asheville.
Google/Michael Miller
Take a little day trip to travel back to a time when life was much simpler and delight in the wholesome experience of stepping into what just may be the oldest general store in the state.
According to one source, the business is known as the oldest continually run family-owned business in all of North Carolnia, not just the oldest general store.
Washburn's General Store
It was begun back in 1831, 30 years before the start of the Civil War.
Step foot inside and get the old-timey notion that things are just different (and wonderful) in this out-of-the-way destination.
Facebook/Washburn's General Store
For starters, the toys are pretty great. You may even feel like you'd like to buy some for yourself, since you may have played with these classics yourself as a child.
Washburn's General Store
The bonus here is that they are also all made in America.

Related Stories

You Could Easily Spend All Day Shopping At This Quilt Lizzy Store In North Carolina

You Could Easily Spend All Day Shopping At This Quilt Lizzy Store In North Carolina

 One Of The Largest Comic Book Stores In North Carolina Has More Than A Hundred Thousand Issues Dating To The 1940s

One Of The Largest Comic Book Stores In North Carolina Has More Than A Hundred Thousand Issues Dating To The 1940s

 There's A Cheese Haven Hiding In North Carolina And It's Everything You've Dreamed And More

There's A Cheese Haven Hiding In North Carolina And It's Everything You've Dreamed And More
You'll find amazing gift items for friends and family. If you have grandchildren, you can bet you won't leave here empty-handed!
Facebook/Washburn's General Store
But toys aren't all you'll find at Washburn's. The true role of a general store back in the day was to carry a little of everything.
Google/Anita Burleson
It's easy to imagine that in it's first hundred years (or even longer), Washburn's would have furnished the community with many of the items needed to furnish and run a household, including clothing, tools, hardware, and groceries.
You'll still find plenty of hardware items, too! Today, you'll find many of these same necessities filling the shelves and displays.
Google/Anita Burleson
And always a staff with a friendly smile and eagerness to help you find what you need. The store has just about everything, including a deli that'll make you one of the best sandwiches you've ever had!
Oh and when the snow flies... there's no better place to find the BEST assortment of sledding gear. You'll find the sled that best fits your size and needs. And then you'll be flying down the snow covered hills in North Carolina in no time.
Facebook/Washburn's General Store
Is there anything better than happening upon a historic general store while exploring the back roads of North Carolina? We think not!
Google/Randy Bridges

Washburn’s General Store is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Learn more with a visit to the store’s official website. And follow on Facebook here.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Related Articles

Explore North Carolina

Featured Addresses
Washburn's General Store, 2426 Bostic Sunshine Hwy, Bostic, NC 28018, USA