Mast General Store: A Treasure of the South

Visitors and residents alike of the Upstate, South Carolina are familiar with Greenville. One of the staples of Main Street in Downtown is the Mast General Store. This local store is a chain of the original, located in historic Valle Crucis of North Carolina. The first Mast General Store is on the National Register of Historic Places, considered to be one of the best remaining examples of an old country store. Built in 1882 and opened in 1883, first named “Taylor and Mast General Store” was owned by Henry Taylor and W.W. Mast. Mast later purchased Taylor’s half of the business and was simply known as the Mast General Store.
Sadly, the original store did have to close its door in 1977 but thankfully new owners reopened in 1980. The company then ventured out of the Valle Crucis area and opened a new store in Boone and then three more stores in North Carolina. In March of 2003, the store would have the first opening outside the Tar Heel state and Greenville, South Carolina was just the place!
Today in Greenville, you can browse through the old-time candy and soda pop. The toys ooze of vintage charm and feel, bringing you back to the simpler days and delighting children. If you need warm and cozy clothes or tough and sturdy work attire, they have great choices for men and women in the apparel department. Great selection of items for camping and hiking. And the shoes – the place to check out and try on some of the top name brands in comfort and style.
The next time you are hankerin’ for a good ol’ country store, look no further than Mast General Store in downtown Greenville, South Carolina!