St. James General Store

St.James General Store is an historic institution located within the Deepwells Farm Historic Park boundaries.This National Historic Landmark has been in continuous operation since it was built in 1857 by Ebenezer Smith. It is considered to be the most authentic general store in the United States. Ebenezer returned to Long Island to build a General Store in 1857. By that time, the name of Sherawogg

e was changed to St. James in honor of the local Episcopal Church. James of the 1860's was located north of North Country Road, where some thirty houses were concentrated, most of them along Moriches Road, Three Sisters Road and Harbor Hill Road. The heart of the business district was on Moriches Road from its intersection with Three Sisters Road south to North Country Road. At this site, Ebenezer conducted his business until the St. James General Store, now the hub of the community, was inherited by Everett Smith, son of Ebenezer. Much of the history of St. James during this period is associated with the store. Here, the residents purchased yard goods, kitchen wares, medicine, shoes, horse medicine, to***co, groceries, hardware, and more. Since the Post Office was located within this store, it became a central meeting place where the townfolk gathered to wait for the mail, to catch up on the local gossip and to keep in touch with the world. There were parties, dances and seasonal celebrations held in a large room upstairs. When the first telephone in the village was installed in the store, the establishment became even more of a community center. The old store ledgers show the names of William Gaynor, Mayor of New York; Stanford White, world famous architect; Frank McNish, Lionel Barrymore, Virginia Lee and Joe Flynn. Later these early stars and personalities were followed by others such as Ethel and John Barrymore, Lillian Russel, Maud Adams, Buster Keaton, Myrna Loy, Ruth Roman, Irving Berlin and Heavyweight Champion James J. These and many other celebrities signed in at the register of the old General Store, mingling with the farmers, fishermen and tradesmen of the town. As the calendar drifted from the 1800's to the 1900's, Everett Smith, Ebenezer's son, still ran the store. He was a man who could be as colorful a personality as his ancestors. Everett was a prominent Republican and saw to it that all Republican parades commenced from the front porch of the store. There is also a story that Everett Smith, as a courtesy, stepped outside to deliver mail to women on horseback who did not want to dismount their horses and come into the store. After a while, he tired of dashing in and out of the store. He posted a sign stating "people on horseback must enter store for mail." One day, a women entered the store for her mail - on horseback. Another old story relates that architect Stanford White frequently used the telephone to conduct his business. One day, a storm arose quickly while he was at the store. He finished his call and stood quietly on the porch to watch the lightning. Soon he walked away and when he was a safe distance from the store, a bolt of lightning struck the phone he had just used. Throughout the years the old store has resisted the changes of progress. It is unchanged structurally since 1894. Never modernized,It has an old-time feel to it.The original counters and cases, the post office, coffee grinder, tea canisters, pot belly stove, barrels, old checkerboard, and many other items remain to permit visitors to look at the Long Island of the Nineteenth Century. Just as the past inventory reflected both treasures and necessities to rural residents, now the store is filled with future heirlooms or with items that offer a special blend of nostalgia and a taste of our local heritage. Shelves of jams and jellies in glass jars organized under individual labels,candy,treats,toys and games,an upstairs book room,there are book signings and storybook hours for children and oral historians who share their experiences with today's visitors.It sells items made by local craftspeople including bags, jewelry, scarves, music, greeting cards and holiday/seasonal items, dolls, handcrafts, antiques,general merchandise and supplies and still offering for sale a line of baked goods. Preservation means more than saving the wood and nuts and bolts of a structure, it also means preserving the entire human experience. That effort is obvious at this site. Today as people make their purchases beneath the old portrait of Ebenezer Smith, it's really business as usual at the St. James General Store.