A Former Publication Of Alderson High School “Alderson’s Longest Running News Media”

Alderson’s Store Legacy Lives By Su Clauson-Wicke - Blue Ridge Country

And   in   spring   2020—its   134th   year—Alderson’s   will   be   adding   the   electronic   component   to   its   sales.   Sarah Alderson, fourth generation owner, says some of the store’s merchandise can be purchased online. Ever   since   its   founding   in   1887,   J.M.   Alderson   General   Merchandise   (now   just   Alderson’s)   has   been owned   by   the   Alderson   family.   The   general   store   sold   necessities   including   patent   medicines,   glassware, lamps,    shoes    and    groceries.    Now    Sarah    Alderson    presides    over    an    eclectic    mix    of    gifts,    jewelry, glassware, purses, antiques, clothing, and a big collection of West Virginia-themed books. “It’s quite a mix,” says Sarah Alderson. “We’ve returned to our general store roots.” The   great-granddaughter   of   the   store’s   founder,   Alderson   moved   back   home   seven   years   ago   to   help   her mother,   Betty   June   Thompson   Alderson,   manage   the   shop.   The   store   reverted   to   a   general   store   under Sarah’s influence. Sarah   Alderson   says   the   interior   looks   exactly   like   it   did   when   built,   and   she   has   pictures   to   prove   it.   The store is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sitting   just   yards   from   the   Greenbrier   River,   the   business   has   survived   fire,   basement   flooding   and   time. The original store burned to the ground in 1930, but was rebuilt on the same block. Alderson’s   Store   has   become   a   destination,   a   reason   for   a   day   trip   from   nearby   Greenbrier   and   Pipestem resorts.   Although   at   first   glance,   the   store   appears   a   throwback   to   the   time   of   church   hats   and   white gloves, much of its merchandise is surprisingly modern. Patrons   praise   the   Alderson’s   personal   attention.   Sarah   keeps   a   “customer   wish   list”   notebook   she   takes on buying trips, always looking for things to delight individual customers. Alderson’s Store: 203 S. Monroe St., Alderson. Hours seasonal; 304-445-2851; or Facebook. —su clauson-wicker

Downtown   businesses   open   and   close   in   the   blink   of   an   eye   these days.   But   not   all.   Some   mercantiles   have   managed   to   stick   around to serve five or six generations of shoppers. Alderson’s   store   in   Alderson,   West   Virginia,   is   one   of   these   long- lasting   perennials.   Although   two   or   three   other   general   stores   in   the southern Appalachians   are   a   few   years   older, Alderson’s   store   is   the region’s   oldest   general   store   continuously   operated   by   the   same family.    (click photo for larger view)