10E2237: J.J. Hapgood General Store & Eatery - The Revival (part 1)

Joseph Jackson Hapgood established a general store in Peru, Vermont in 1827 and until a few years ago it had been the longest continually running general store in the state. I partly grew up in this small town and the store in the 80's was still a fixture of the community. It was a right of passage to get your own "account" on turning 16. In the 40s and 50s the town post office was inside the store as well - and horses would be fed and watered outside. And let me get this out of the way... this store (and the town) was heavily used in the film Baby Boom with Diane Keaton and Sam Shephard - still holds a goofy place our hearts (heck our cow was used in the movie...). Outside of a post about our kids (which I don't really do) emotions run pretty high about love of this store here at 10engines.

 

Sis in front of the store circa 2006. That truck now dust after being rolled winter of 2009...

After its fall from grace a few years ago many in town were thinking someone should really do something with the [abandoned] store.  Enter an old classmate of mine Juliette who still lives in town (with husband and kids) who decided the someone and something was them. Hats off / high fives / 21 gun salute. The historic building was deamed non-viable by the local commission and they are already midway through a rebuild project - the end goal being to create a store, an exhibition space and kitchen for prepared breakfast and lunches in addition to supplying homewares, dry groceries, produce, beer and wood fired pizza. I know they are already working with neighboring producers and farmers intending to promote local food awareness through special events - events aiming squarely at residents as well as a destination for visitors, but also psyched on the meeting room/exhibition space they have planned. The store is one key to invigorating the town of Peru (one stop sign, no light...) and I could not be happier. To my New England readers especially, see www.jjhapgood.com/ to follow along and hope you 'll pay them visit.

Below is a series of photos taken by Carol Kaplan of the store as it was broomswept and ready to be packed up before demo and the current rebuild - which is being done inclusively with the town (even receiving a church blessing) and sensitively in terms of construction (not to get all Meet The Parents but yes salvaging usable timbers and hardware to be used later) recreating the facade, keeping the facing benches out front... Basically doing everything by the book. Walk through the door and have a look...

This was not 'for show' - the sandwich counter was used to prep sandwiches, the pickle barrel was filled, 

the huge glass cheese case held a massive wheel of cheddar, etc. 

The store was living and breathing at one point and will be again.  

Those Js are so distinctive, love that they have are keeping that in the new signage. #wellplayed

This was the last time I was inside - February 24th 2013. Juliette cranked up the woodstove and

the aged constable came by to tell us his childhood recollections of the store. Amazing.
Another set of these photos to follow in part 2...

Local pastor Margaret blessed the old store this summer and neighbors were invited to reminisce.

Here we go folks www.jjhapgood.com/ a renewal and new beginning. 

I am really looking forward to this ride...

Who decided it was good idea to do all this while wrangling 3 kids and a massive garden? 

Oh yeah... this lady did. Thank you Juliette and Tim!

shop visit -ball and buck

In a nutshell, Ball and Buck is a store in Boston that is committed to selling 100% made in the USA garments. Created by Mark Bollman with Tiffany Lien the shop pays homage to, hell it prays at, the altar of Americana. The selection is partly hunting inspired and part rustic-chic (yes I said it). Just realized that the store is literally a shotgun shack...

Went round last week with Ms. N'EastStyle and her man to do the chat and hear more about Ball and Buck and what they have planned.

To put it in black and white they currently carry: Left Field Chinos, Jack Donnelly khakis, Fox River socks, Tenneson denim, Wolverine boots, Bill's Khakis, Gitman Vintage, Schott Perfecto (all over the blaze orange duffle), Portland General Store scents, Baxter's of California, Randolph Engineering, Caswell Massey, Lodge & Co., some magazines (and soon Inventory, Fantastic Man, and American History) and more... further reading.







For 2011 they are making 2 moves; bringing in more stock, and hosting events in and out of store.

New products offered will be; Two Feet Ahead socks, Groceries, Quoddy boots and shoes, Walk-Over suede bucks, new Tellasons, Ball and Buck made button-downs (possibly a red chambray short sleeve popover -blog nectar basically...), Bills Khakis shorts, Ball and Buck leather sandals, Klein Tools canvas products, Apolis chambray board shorts and field jackets, Makr bags, Baldwin denim, Maxx & Unicorn wallets, and later, Alden shoes.

That is all great, and if you are a fenceposter/archivisti/disciple you may own some of that stuff already -but where Mark and Tiffany plan on making this a full experience is in offering some educational events. Beer/whiskey tastings -nice, movie screenings and music sponsorship -cool, butcher's class, pig roast, maybe shucking demos followed by a trip to the shooting range while learning to strop a straight razor? Bases covered. An open air version of the shop as a one-time flea market may be on the cards as well -I think that is just an excuse for a whiffle ball tourney in the background though.

Still with me? They gave us a grip of camo/blaze beer warmers as below... first person to email me gets these. Update: Gone. Good job Barrett. Thx guys.

hilton's tent city -a visit and limited release note

I love me some self-depreciating humor. Hilton's Tent City in Boston bill themselves as "Simply the best camping store on Friend Street". No one can argue with that statement. HTC are practically the only store on Friend Street (even Hooters couldn't hack it there...)

Damn me though if this place isn't 4 floors of duck, gore, wool and waxed cotton goodness. Stocking: you guessed it, tents, stoves, boots and backpacks to workpants and shirts -men's and women's. The 4 floors are not massive but the stuff is crammed in there like you want it to be, not sparse. For the fenceposters they carry Filson (huge collection of the bags), Barbour, Carhartt, Vasque, Merrel and Pointer. Usual suspects?? Take an already low price and take 25% off it (10% if buying online). Run, don't walk.


Jason McKenzie has been steering the buying at HTC for about 3 years (Jason's mum owns McKenzie Gear in Lincoln, NH) and was good enough to give me the nickel tour. Yes he was eating granola when I went in... this place is legit.


As well as slowly introducing the store's warehoused made in USA backstock to augment many of today's brands' modern production, they are creating some store/brand collaborations; of note the recent Bailey Works for Friend St. One more nugget at the end of this post...

The Baileyworks x Friend St. bags just in.

Spotted this old poster for Eureka tents;
(the tent material used for the Baileyworks x Friend St. bags).

Perfect, basic, out of production, wooden chairs from Byer of Maine. A Japanese collector bought a few hundred when Jason found them stashed in the attic.

HTC has had a continuous account with Woolrich for over 50 years. Very very tough to get that cool WWM/Blue Label stuff... but they are actually trying.


Crazy stockroom finds; like the below White Bear snurfer?? Never seen such a thing. Deerskin brand shirts with great hangtags... ok getting out of the way and the pics can talk.








Still with me? Ok, this is the new release part. HTC are working with Pointer (criminally underrepresented generally) to produce a simple pair of shorts, like their PS1 (painter short) but in hickory stripe, minus the tool pocket and hammer loop. 10" inseam. Backstory tidbit; Pointer have stepped in generally as Carhartt has cut back it's production of bib-front-nailpouch carrying dungarees... That sounds a little niche but union carpenters buy these by the handful. Ironically Pointer's low price point makes them sort of a tough sell but Jason and HTC are using this collab to champion the brand and their interest in union made and made in USA garments generally.



Love the material of the painters pants, you can practically see the stems and cotton seeds in there. A fresh box of them has a serious raw smell I guess.

Ok, big post. Huge. Thanks to Jason for having me over. The Pointer x Friend St. shorts should be available in a few weeks; same bat channel. Or follow his twitter feed now (@scriboscribere) and be first in line when he unearths that box of Centennial Carhartt...

picnic squares done right

I have a long sleeved picnic gingham shirt that I rely on. May be an old Arrow, or some sort of Sears cruisewear, the tag fell off a few years ago. It is tissue thin. Not afraid of those big squares, me.

This shirt here by Penfield (Saxton) nails it as a short sleeve though. Great gingham and throws in a little bone with the workshirt-ish buttoned-up pocket. Found it via a UK stockist but you can buy it direct from Penfield.


Dont agree w/ the sentiment in the song but nice shirt below. Thx Matt.

tinder

Tinder is a small, perfectly formed, online store operated by a couple of archaeologists, Donna and Angus, in Novia Scotia. Tasteful, utilitarian goods and sundries etc. From their site;

Sourced from traditional manufacturers & modern cottage industries, our inventory is based on simple utility & sound construction...

We endeavour to support a small number of worthy causes {social & ecological} specific to Canada, with a modest portion of our profits {thanks to you}.

Hit Tinder to find out about the orangy plastic basket... [hint it is made by a Canadian firm called Logmatic.]
Loving the stuff they have selected, greedy for more...