The general store was a hub for communities during the 19th century. In addition to selling and trading such staples as dry goods, hardware and clothing, taking catalog orders and providing mail services, a primary function of the general store was a gathering place for locals. Histories of these businesses range from fiddle sessions on the porch to a dedicated dance hall upstairs.
During a recent visit to Mt. Desert Island – home to Acadia National Park - my husband and I popped into J.H. Butterfield Co. in Bar Harbor. Still operating as a small grocery, everything in this place was clearly unchanged since its origins. I began to take some photos and in turn, ended up chatting with one of the employees who was very happy to offer up lots of great information about the place. According to him:
As the general store was typically the first business to open in a town, the building that houses J.H. Butterfield Co. dates to 1887 and is one of the oldest in Bar Harbor. The current owner, Jack B. Walls, is 79 years old and the third generation to run the family business. Throughout the years, he has taken pride in knowing the ins-and-outs of the pantry in every summer home in town.
The floor-to-ceiling casework is a common and beautiful feature…all the more space to store goods.
The refrigerated cases came along later…they’re from the late ‘30s / early ‘40s.
These are the original meat hooks where the butchering freezer was once located. Off-cuts disappeared into a trap door in the floor.
The walls are lined with pictures from over the years.
Products that line the top shelves are original to the store. Moxie of course!
The elk head was brought back from a trip out west. It was purchased from a hunter, who only years later was recognized to be Theodore Roosevelt.
