Our Story
Established in 1831, the five-generation family business has been handed down from founder Benjamin Washburn, through brothers & sons to his great-great nephew Edward Nollie Washburn III.
The National Department of the Interior inducted the General Store, the family estate–built in 1913, a classic wooden barn–built in 1915, and ten other buildings as a historic district in 2002.
The Store’s original building actually stood catty cornered, on the other side of the Washburn’s Crossroads to its current home. It began as a tavern, inn and mercantile store that served stagecoaches traveling between Rutherford and Lincoln counties.
Today, the store is a testament to American history. Come on over and enjoy a glass bottle of Coca-Cola, and have a pleasant chat with the proprietor. You can cozy up with a North Carolina afghan and rock away your worries in a NC-made rocking chair.
We love our tourists and encourage you to come spend a spell with us. Eat a sandwich, catch up on local gossip and rediscover the tools you need in order to live ‘off the grid’
Each day {except Sunday and Wednesday} we open the doors on our cozy little slice of history. We are here waiting for you to realize that what you’ve been searching for was with us all along. Keep America’s true spirit flowing by dropping by every now and again. If we let something this special and unique go to waste, we will miss it when it is gone. So stray a little from the beaten path and come discover, or rediscover, some of your down home heritage here at Washburn’s General Store.
This isn’t just any run of the mill store. We’ve got what you need; the usual and unusual. Call with questions during business hours or email us for more information at WashburnStore@gmail.com
