A Trip To The Oldest Store In Rhode Island Is Like Stepping Back In Time

In 1788, George Washington was president, the USA was barely getting started, and a little general store called Gray’s opened in Rhode Island. Gray’s General Store has survived wars, technological advances, and even a temporary closing. And while it has been rebranded a few times, it still has the same historic look.

Wikipedia

It operated for 225 straight years and was rumored to be the oldest continually operating general store in the country.

kvaudrain / TripAdvisor

You'll still see all kinds of Rhode Island treasures on its shelves.

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Doug Kerr / Flickr

But just because Rhode Islanders can't do their grocery shopping here doesn't mean they don't love it.

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Jimmy Emerson, DVM / Flickr

In 2012, Gray's closed after the sixth generation owner, Grayton Waite, died of esophageal cancer within six weeks of being diagnosed. Luckily, Grayton's fiancee opened it back up eventually.

Doug Kerr / Flickr

And it's fantastic that this historic building is still standing after all this time.

Can you imagine keeping something like this in your family for centuries? Gray’s General Store has some serious staying power. It’s now in its seventh generation, and it was also the location of the first post office in Little Compton, founded in 1804. We’re always looking for interesting places like this to write about, so if you know of something we should be featuring, let us know.