Go back in time at the Belmont General Store

A visit to the Belmont General Store is like taking a trip back in time. The charming building sits on the main street (at 6 North Main Street) and has a lot of history and stories. Walking by, you can’t help but stop in.

Once inside, you are surrounded by a little bit of everything. An old style soda shop sits at the front of the store where you can grab a stool and get a scoop of ice cream, a malt or a float. Go for the Charleston sea salt and caramel malt for $4.75 or the refreshing pineapple, orange vanilla or coconut.

The scoops of ice cream come from the Mooresville Ice Cream Company (specifically DeLuxe and Front Porch Carolina Churned Ice Cream).

While at the store, you can buy or get jewelry made, get your watch or jewelry repaired, get a key cut and make your own “six pack” from the soda wall. Hardware items, flags, wind chimes and greeting cards are also available as well. You can even get air filters that are made locally by NC Air Filtration.

Even better: Starting in mid August, you will now be able to get a bagel and coffee in the wee hours of the morning before you head to the office at Addley’s Bagels. Owner Jerry Simonetti, (who also runs Simonetti’s Pizza in Belmont), will have a shop located inside the General Store. Hours will be 6 a.m.- 4 p.m. (Note: The General Store itself will not open until 10 a.m.)

Some eye-catching items include the oldest item in the store, a bike, which hangs from the ceiling. According to manager Lane Adams, it is from the late 1800s from the Daniel Stowe House, and came from the antique collection from the Belmont Stowe family, who opened the general store.

You also can’t miss the beautiful stairs to the second level – the stairs were painted with Van Gogh’s sunflowers by students of local art teacher Jeaniene Dibble. (The second level is not open to the public).

While you visit, make sure you head to the back of the store to say hello to barber Doug Brewer, who has been cutting hair for 69 years. And it seems he won’t be quitting any time soon.

“I like cutting hair,” he said. “I like making friends, meeting wives and their children.”

The store has been around since 1886 when the Belmont main street was dirt, Adams said. It was the company store for the local cotton mills, like an early day Wal-Mart, he joked.

“If we didn’t have it, you didn’t need it,” Adams said.

Mill workers had an account at the store and whatever they purchased would be taken out of their paycheck. Families would come in for home goods, shoes and clothing.

Times have changed but the old time feel is still there. Many customers are still local and of course there are many tourists, Adams said.

So the next time you are in Belmont, you have no excuse not to visit this little gem. Odds are, you will even take a little piece of history home with you.

Belmont General Store: 6 North Main St., Belmont

Hours: Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Photos: Amy Wadsworth

This story was originally published July 20, 2016 at 11:00 PM with the headline "Go back in time at the Belmont General Store."