General Store given new life thanks to Rupert Village Trust | Local-news

RUPERT — The Sheldon General Store Community and Cafe sits just across the street from the old village school, library, and historical society, and adjacent to the old Cobblers Shop.

From one direction, community member and birthday boy Art Laurie – on a lawnmower – was making his way up the road to the store.

From the other, community member Doug Armstrong (known locally and professionally as, “that guy”) was bringing his electric bicycle to the side of the porch.

From behind the building, a few others were converging and making their way across the grass, chatting and giggling.

The old store has been given a new life in recent years, thanks in large part to the Rupert Village Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of history and community in the town of Rupert.

The quintessential country store, once so prevalent in small Vermont towns, has its roots in the colonial period and has managed to survive on the premise of sheer adaptability. They have served as social gathering spaces, curating culture as well as provisions. Therefore, it is no wonder that this store – seemingly in the middle of nowhere – is where members of the Rupert community continue to come together to mingle and share information, ideas, experiences, food, and laughter.

The Sheldon General Store has become a sort of beating heart for the community, with monthly community “music jams,” root beer float gatherings, potluck dinner events, yoga and more. On a recent Saturday, it was a recurring coffee hour that brought residents out and about.

While the coffee is sourced from Tall Cat Coffee, a micro roaster out of Dorset, and the bakery items are sourced from Flour Girl Bakeshop out of West Rupert, the majority of the buffet items for Saturday morning Coffee Hour are brought in “pot luck style ” and placed on the long wooden counter, as their contributors mingle.

Volunteers “work” the Coffee Hour and take care of clean up and hosting, calling out greetings to newcomers and making connections between like-minded parties. Donations to help fund the next Coffee Hour, general upkeep, and other events are deposited into a canister that sits on the counter by the spread of breakfast items.

While the vision for the development of a true community center at the old Sheldon General Store can be attributed to the members of the Rupert Village Trust, the community members are the ones who have made it happen – and their investment in the heart and soul of the vision has brought an invigorating life to the once-aged structure.

Nancy Poletti, community member and patron of the Sheldon Village Store, often finds herself volunteering, hosting, and organizing events at the community center. As she and another patron of the store chatted, they came up with the idea of ​​revitalizing the square dancing “get togethers” that used to take place on the weekends.

Ralph Hoyt, who grew up in Arlington and moved to Rupert with his wife and family in the 1960s, recalled the days when he and his wife would come to the events held upstairs on the weekends – and as he spoke others gathered around to listen, nodding.

“Did you know that Ralph was a model for Norman Rockwell?” asked Poletti, suddenly. And, Ralph began recounting the numerous times that he sat for the Arlington painter, who got “$200 per painting – and that was a lot of money back then.”

Toward the front of the store, a bit of raucous play had broken out as community member Sue Crandall, brandishing a yellow summer squash of considerable size, playfully threatened to take a batter’s swing at Rupert Village Trust board member John La Vecchia.

That the two know each other well, and that banter such as this was common, was evident in the joviality of the interaction – and other community members nodded in recognition or joined in the ribbing and laughter.

“The store closed in 1984/1985,” said La Vocchia, extricating himself from the frivolity with a broad grin, and continuing the introduction to the history of the building. “It was full for about 20 years, but the owners put a sign on the door that basically said: ‘Don’t even ask. Not for sale.’”

“There’s plans for an addition – the plan is to have another egress, stairs to the second floor, elevator, bathrooms, wheelchair access, and this will be a two story addition,” La Vecchia said. “Ultimately, the Rupert Village Trust will have a proper addition to this space.”

The floor plan for the existing structure is open in concept for both the lower level and the upper level – which was once the community’s grange hall – and the plans La Vecchia spoke about would continue to keep the building’s historic character as an open concept.

“The preservation aspects,” said La Vecchia, pointing to the rear left corner of the complex crisscrossed woodworking of the upper level exterior walls and bowed ceiling. “That’s where the new addition is going, so that window is the one thing that would change up here.”

The hope is that, in the near future, one window and its original decorative framing would become a door and the window would potentially be relocated around the corner to look out on the rear of the building – a view not currently visible.

Damage in one corner of the beautifully bowed shiplapped ceiling had already been skillfully repaired, and the fresh wood was waiting on a matching coat of stain.

“Claude Barden,” added Poletti, naming the repairman. “Claude isn’t a contractor. I’m told he used to be a carpenter. He’s just a really talented volunteer – he lives in Rupert, and is an all around great guy.”

Downstairs, deep in concentration at a table near the window, Lucy Horowitz – Berkeley student and “big fan of Coffee Hour and all things Rupert Village Trust” – and community member Susan Nichols were seated. With more than half a century dividing the pair by age, the two were huddled together with paper and pen – their heads bent low over their work. The conversation was intense and focused as Horowitz worked to learn the art of cursive writing from Nichols.

Katha Washburn, who came to the community just a few years ago, and birthday boy Art Lourie, who was turning 96, were enjoying Coffee Hour with some of the many community members who frequent the Saturday morning activity.

Hoyt was showing community member Jeff Linebeck what the Sheldon General Store used to look like in a photo hanging over the shelves. Ralph was recollecting his memories of the period in his life where he was employed at the store, pumping gas out front or doing other odd jobs for the business owners.

Linebeck was not only a patron of the Sheldon General Store Community and Cafe, but also the organist for the Congregational Church of Rupert and the Rupert United Methodist Church.

While the historic Sheldon General Store first took root in the Rupert community in the late 1800s, operating as the farmers exchange and the grange hall, the newest revitalization efforts have begun to take on a life of their own.

“You know, this is really special,” said Washburn, watching how the community members around her mingled. “It’s really special, and I know that.”

The Sheldon General Store Community and Cafe puts out a twice-monthly newsletter that details upcoming events, and it is available via email upon request. More information can be found at facebook.com/rupertvillagetrust/.