GLOCESTER – Cynthia and Scott Barlow now own a piece of history: Glocester’s Brown and Hopkins General Store, the oldest continuously operated general store in the U.S., located in the center of Chepachet Village on Putnam Pike.
“I love this town, and I know so many people here who consider Brown and Hopkins to be like a beacon for the community,” said Cynthia Barlow, who will manage the business. “I am the next steward of history. That’s how I look at it.”
For Barlow, it was like coming home, even though she and her husband have lived here all their lives. Her father Theodore Rudolph, Jr. was a town sergeant for many years. He was civic minded, she said, and helped design and build the Korean-Vietnam Memorial in front of the Glocester Town Hall. She recalled visiting Brown and Hopkins as a kid to take advantage of the unique penny candy offerings, always an attraction. From the beginning, she was drawn to the store, with its myriad offerings and its unique history.
“I spent my entire life in this town,” she said. “My dad would be so proud that I am buying a piece of history and a piece of the town. I just absolutely adore history too, as does my husband. We are both super history buffs.”
A 1989 Ponaganset High School graduate, Barlow earned bachelor’s degrees from Providence College in 1993, with a double major marketing and art. She spent 30 years in corporate America as a marketer, culminating as a CEO, and worked for a number of corporations, including Hasbro, Disney, and Sumer Infant.
As far as changes, Barlow said she is considering adding more general offerings, but it seems things will remain mostly the same in Brown & Hopkins future.
“I will keep it true to its roots,” she said. “So much history gets unappreciated. I will treat this building like I treat my own home, with loving care.”
Former owner Elizabeth Yuill says she was thrilled to find the Barlows were interested in carrying on the traditions and history of the business.
“In November of 2023, Cynthia contacted me to ask if I would consider her as the next shopkeeper of Brown & Hopkins,” Yuill said in a press release. “I had taken that same leap of faith about 20 years earlier by contacting the last owners. Once I met with Cynthia and her husband Scott, there was no doubt they would be a perfect match. I have always envisioned someone to come along who has the drive and desire to not only keep this old store thriving, but to also take it to the next level of success. And I see that in Cindy.”
“To say I will miss it would be a grave understatement, but one cannot ignore the power of the universe,” she added. “I am certain I will be stopping in the shop often.”
“I can’t thank Liz enough for choosing me, and my husband Scott, to be the 20th owners of this historic building and business,” said Barlow. “She has done an amazing job preserving the past while creating a unique atmosphere that blends the old with the new. It’s been a lifelong dream to become the next steward of this general store, and I’m so grateful to Liz for making that dream come true.”
For Yuill, it is a bittersweet end. As much as she is looking forward to retirement, she also admits that the store has been a huge part of her life since she took over two decades ago.
“The best part about owning this building was just walking into this building for my shift and imagining over the last 200 plus years all the people who have walked the same floorboards that I walked,” she said. “It’s just unfathomable.”
Ironically, the ancient store has some very modern aspects, including an online offering of goods, drawing customers from all over the country to take advantage of its products. That started during Covid, explained Yuill. When doors were shuttered, she began adding internet connections, which not only boosted sales online, but attracted visitors to the store after restrictions were lifted.
“That really put us on the map,” said Yuill.
Like any retail shop, especially in today’s world, there have been challenges. Making sure the business sells what customers want has not been easy, and maybe the biggest challenge, said Yuill.
“Keeping up with trends and making sure I still keep the flavor of Brown and Hopkins, yet moving forward also with today’s needs,” was tough, she explained. “Balancing the two can be challenging.”
Customers arrive from all over, including Canada, to check out the oldest general store in the U.S. Regulars make the trek from nearby states, as well, including Jane and Bruce Osborne, she added, who make weekly visits from Natick, Mass., to shop.
“Many people who shop here feel like this is their happy place,” Yuill said. “It immediately relaxes them when they walk through those front doors.”
After 36 years in the retail business, Yuill said she will truly miss her employees and customers, but is also looking forward to spending more time traveling and enjoying life.
“The hardest part of retirement, I believe, will be missing my connections with my customers,” said Yuill. “It has been 20 years of cultivating and growing many connections. Some of my customers have become my friends now. I’ve never been bored a day in my life, and I look forward to treating each new day as an adventure.”
According to American Heritage Magazine, the Bond Map Company of New York recognized Brown and Hopkins General Store to be the oldest country store in continuous operation in the United States. The building was erected in 1799 by Timothy Wilmarth, who built a residence and a hattery. In 1809, the building was purchased by Ira Evans who started the business as a general store. After several changes in ownership, it was then purchased in 1921 by James L. Brown and William W. Hopkins. Brown and Hopkins operated the store until 1964, when it was purchased by Roscoe and Lillian Steere. In the late 1900’s Brown & Hopkins experienced a few more changes in ownership.
“Today, the store now specializes in primitive and country home accessories, reproduction furniture, and period lighting,” states American Heritage. “Browse the two floors and discover candles, quilts, Old World Christmas ornaments, framed prints, old fashioned candy (still some for just a penny), gourmet specialties from Stonewall Kitchen, Vermont cheddar cheese, yard goods and an assortment of antiques. From the potbelly stove (retired, but still admired) to the old wooden floors and beamed ceilings, Brown & Hopkins maintains much of its authenticity and continues to attract people from all over the country to its doors.”
I look forward to shopping here on my many visits to my hometown! Congrats to the new owners !
Congratulations. Good luck with your new adventure.