Community Store Initiative
by Neeta McCullouch, National Trust for Historic Preservation

Building upon the success of the Local Storekeeper Award program, which ran from 1996 to 2000, the Preservation Trust of Vermont and the Vermont Country Store, a Vermont-based catalogue business with two retail outlets, have embarked on a new program, the Community Store Initiative. Designed to help independently owned village stores, the program is comprised of four parts: Community Store Advisors, Storekeeper Retreat, Community Store Transitions and financial support.

At the request of a storekeeper, the Preservation Trust assembles a team of local storekeepers and retail consultants who spend a day at the store, learning about it and the specific issues of concern to the owner. The team offers suggestions and shares its experiences. To follow up, they prepare a report with possible solutions for problems and ideas about how to help the store move forward. After their onsite visit, mentors are just a phone call away to help with future issues.

The second part of the program is a two-day retreat that the Preservation Trust is hosting for storekeepers to give them an opportunity to share experiences and challenges, and to learn from each other. The retreat is open to all storekeepers and should provide a unique opportunity for hearing case studies and getting advice and feedback.

Community Store Transitions helps develop new solutions and partnerships for local storekeepers and communities facing such difficult transitions as the sale of a store, declining business or the closing of a store. The program helps to facilitate a community-wide discussion about solutions to these and other dilemmas and provides funds for consulting assistance as needed.

The final part of the new initiative involves finding financial resources to help implement the solutions reached by the Community Store Transitions. The Preservation Trust cannot provide all the funds necessary, but they do try to provide enough support for seed money to get a project started.

Village stores are a unique part of Vermont’s heritage, and the Preservation Trust of Vermont and its partners are working to make sure that this tradition continues for future generations.

For more information, please contact Paul Bruhn at the Preservation Trust of Vermont (paul@ptvermont.org, 802-658-6647).

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Local Storekeepers Award Winners:

 

1996:  Barnard General Store

Lynn's Market, E. Fairfield

Currier's Mkt., Glover

Beaudry's Store, Huntington

Hastings Store, W. Danville

Sherman's Store, W. Rupert

 

1997:  Tallman's Store, Belvidere

Chelsea Country Store, Chelsea

Buxton's Store, Orwell

Teago General Store, S. Pomfret

Tunbridge Village Store

Chick's Mkt., Winooski

 

1998:  Martin's Olde Village Store, E. Corinth

Lincoln General Store

Powers Mkt., N. Bennington

Floyd's General Store, Randolph Ctr.

Sharon Trading Post

 

1999:  Pratt's Store, Inc., Bridport

The Center Market, Georgia Center

The Willey's Store, Greensboro

The Elmore Store, Lake Elmore

The Wayside Country Store, W. Arlington

 

Special Recognition was given to:

 

Adamant Coop

W. Addison General Store

Belmont General Store

Salem's Mkt., Bennington

Winhall Mkt., Bondville

Evansville Trading Post, Brownington

Will's, Chelsea

Mazza's,  Colchester

Historic Craftsbury Gen. Store, Franklin

Lantman's, Hinesburg

Ray's Mkt., Irasburg

Jericho Ctr. Mkt., Jericho center

Country Store, Montpelier

Hero's Welcome, North Hero

Dan and Whit's, Norwich

Mach's, Pawlet

Bayley-Hazen Country Store, Peacham

Kamuda's, Pittsford

Coburn's, S. Strafford

Waits River General Store, W. Topsham

Gillingham's, Woodstock