The Oldest General Store Near Boston Has A Fascinating History
By Juliet White
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Published April 04, 2018
General stores fill us with nostalgia and make us think of simpler times. There’s something unequivocally appealing about a shop that has served generations upon generations of customers and still retained plenty of charm. Massachusetts has several historic general stores , but the Wayside Country Store is one that everyone should visit.
You’ll find it at 1015 Boston Post Road, Marlborough —sometimes spelled Marlboro.
Located about 30 miles from Boston, this place offers hard-to-find candy, handmade items, and pickles in a barrel (naturally). If you want to travel through time without the hassle of constructing a flux capacitor that actually works, head out to Marlborough for a historic shopping experience that’s delighted customers for centuries.
Determining the age of a general store is tougher than you might think; after all, some shops have been used for different purposes over their long histories.
The Wayside Country Store is housed in a building that was constructed in 1790. It started out as a general store, but served as a post office and school as well!
Obviously, this shot wasn't taken in 1790, but it gives you a feel for the length of the store's history.
There are two aspects of the Wayside Country Store's past that set it apart. The first is that Henry Ford bought the store in 1928.
The second unusual factoid is that he used oxen to move the entire shop to a new location…
...where he had it put back together. Before relocating, the Wayside Country Store was a fixture of downtown Sudbury!
As you step inside, the sight of the massive retro candy selection breathes new life into childhood memories and tempts you to create some new candy-centric ones as an adult.
The Old Tyme Candy Shoppe is vast, with treats arranged in glass jars — the sign of a legit, old school candy store. Load up on molasses puffs, candy sticks (cigarettes), and candy necklaces.
The fudge selection features classic flavors like chocolate and ones that scream "try me," such as eggnog. The chocolate display is vast, and no trip would be complete without some ginger snaps.
As you roam through aisles of toys…
…kitchen items, soaps, and Christmas decorations check out the heating system! The Wayside Country Store uses a pot-bellied stove for heat, which simply adds to the quaint appeal of an interior space that hasn’t changed much since Henry Ford owned it.
Exploring history has never been so much fun!
While you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to swing by the Wayside Inn and the little red schoolhouse from “Mary Had A Little Lamb.”
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