The Mast General Store was built, at least the first of its many rooms, in 1882 by Henry Taylor and opened in 1883 in Valle Crucis, NC. In 1897 half interest in the store was sold to W. W. Mast, a member of a pioneer family that settled in the valley. The store was known as the Taylor and Mast General Store up until 1913 when the remaining half of the enterprise was purchased by W. W.
For the next 60 years, the store was owned and managed by the Mast Family. During that time, W. W. and his family tried to carry all of the items their neighbors might need - from plows to cloth and "Cradles to Caskets," which led to the popular saying, "If you can't buy it here, you don't need it." Today, under ownership of a new family, visitors to the the mountains of North & South Carolina and Tennessee make a trip to Mast part of their vacation plans.
General stores take today's rushed families back to a simpler time when a game of checkers, a few old rocking chairs and an ice cold Coke in a bottle (with peanuts, of course!) was a great way to spend the day. Just like their predecessors, general stores serve as a meeting place for politics and gossip, history lessons and memories.
FTF Honors to Doughball8!