A Cluster of Country Stores

On my last road trip of 2020 I was wandering aimlessly - that’s the only way to wander - in what I later found was King and Queen County. In about a 10-15 mile radius I came across some old country stores. Country stores, old and abandoned or still in operation, fascinate me. They have a different atmosphere than your 7-11. Here people don’t tend to be in a hurry as much. They loiter, lollygag, gossip, and talk about crops, the weather, and politics.

When I posted these stores on my Facebook page I got some great feedback, and insight, from Judy Turner Carlton on the history of these places - some which look like little museums. Here’s what she wrote:

“I grew up near all of them and my family frequently patronized them at least through my teen years. They have been empty for more than 30 years, but a local businessman who recently passed away had the outsides freshly painted and spruced up to try to preserve the memories about 10-15 years ago. King and Queen county is between King William and Essex counties. Thank you for your wonderful pictures. The man's name that was the last owner was Carroll Lee Walker. This, as well as several other parcels throughout the county were lovingly spruced up by a Mr. Carroll Lee Walker, a local businessman with a love for the history of his county.

He was a very generous man, every Christmas he would give members of my family a gallon of oysters and a country ham. The town of Walkerton was named after his family. Before he passed of cancer a couple of years ago, he bought up several of his favorite icons in his county and spruced up the outsides to preserve the memories for us for a little longer.”

The heart of Downtown Stevensville, run by Mr. Jimmy Jones and his wife Zelda

A store where you can still fill up with Texaco T.

"You can trust your car to the man who wears the star."

Douglas Lewis, African American proprietor.