The first rooms of the Mast General Store were built and opened as The Taylor General Store by Henry Taylor in 1883. Henry had run a smaller store across the road for many years and had the need to expand his offerings. It wasn't long before he had to expand his new store. You can see where he built on to what is now called “The Middle Room” by observing the floor during your next visit.
In 1897, he sold half interest in the store to W. W. (William Wellington) Mast, a member of another pioneer family. The store was known as the Taylor and Mast General Store up until 1913, when the remaining half of the enterprise was purchased by W. W. From then on, the sign over the door has always had Mast in the name.
For the next 60 years, the store was owned and operated by the Mast Family. During that time, W. W. and his family tried to carry everything their neighbors needed...from plow points to cloth and cradles to caskets, which led to the popular saying, “If you can't buy it here, you don't need it"
The Mast General Store is always one of our stops when we are staying in Sugar Mountain, NC. This place is filled with many memories and treasures of a time gone by.
Still has a working post office...
Annex is located just down the road with more "stuff". If you can't find it at the Mast General Store you don't need it!
One thousand acres of Valle Crucis was purchased in 1780 for the sum of a rifle, a dog, and a sheepskin. The Mast Store Annex stands on a parcel of that land
The "penny candy room"...sold by the pound!
