… When all through the town, not a vehicle was stirring – except maybe as usual at the Brooklin General Store. The store opens at 6:30 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. every day except Monday when it’s closed. Here you see the store at night:
This family-run store can trace its lineage back to an original structure built at that location in 1872. It’s part of a long tradition of general stores (aka country stores) in New England that have served communities since before the Revolutionary war. Here’s the store during a December dusk:
In today’s age of online shopping and speedy truck delivery, the BGS and many general stores have survived by becoming rural convenience stores that open early and close late. (Ours is closed Christmas Day.) They sell a highly-targeted selection of food, beer and wine, and nonfood products, while often providing a café area (which the BGS does). Perhaps most important, they continue to provide something that general stores are famous for – local gossip, news, and views out of the mouths of neighbors.
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 19 [dusk] and 20, 2024.)