The Grafton Country Store has a long and interesting history.  The store is located in the beautiful Grafton Common historic district which includes numerous historical buildings and fine stores that grace our beautiful common.  Its old style New England charm even brought Hollywood for the shooting of the movie “Ah Wilderness!” in 1935.  Grafton Common is an idyllic setting for shopping or just taking it easy!

Our location was first noted as a store in 1733-34 with Jeremiah Barstow operating a small one-story business for the sale of goods at our location.  This store was torn down in 1806 with the construction of our current building.  It was called the “Green Store” because of its color and it was built by Jonathan Wheeler Jr. and John Warren.  They were involved in “buying, selling, vending and retailing of all sorts of wares, goods and commodities belonging to the said trade of all kinds of merchandise between this and Charleston, S.C.”

The store changed hands all throughout the 1800’s as Wheeler & Warren, Wheeler & Chase, Warren & Aldrich, Harrington & Nichols and George K. Nichols & Son all providing goods for the local community.

In the 1900’s the building contained a variety of shops and stores.  The most prominent of these stores was Charlie Tebo’s Market and the Hilltop Spa which sold candy, soda, magazines and smokes.  In the early 1980’s the block was purchased by Dick and Jean Anderson where they ran their insurance and real estate businesses.  They still own the building to this day.

The Grafton Country Store was founded by the Richard Mahassel and family in the early 1980’s and they owned it for 15 years.  Marilyn Humphries owned the store after buying it from them and was responsible for its growth period.  Tina & Andy Sontag purchased it from Johanna & Renee Lyman in 2007 and have worked to continue the tradition of fine gifts, great service and old style charm.

As one of the former owners, Mr. Harrington said upon his retirement, “The history of a business house in quiet country village seldom offers any unusual incidents, and generally goes on it its modest routine of patient application and industrious enterprise.  And still the annals of a country store will be found to embrace very much of the social history of the region of the community in which it is location…The Green store was no exception.  If its hard oak timbers could have spoken, they would furnish material for many an exciting discussion, and many a chronicle of the earlier times.”  Well said.