Jericho Center Country Store - Vermont's Longest Running Store
Because of the geography of the Green Mountains, and its many rivers, Vermont was primarily settled in individual small villages, connected by dirt roads that ran along the rivers. One of the focal points of these isolated villages was the general store. Out of necessity these stores had to carry everything the local villagers required, from food to clothing to hardware to farm supplies. The Jericho Center Country Store is the oldest of these stores in continuous operation. It was opened in 1807 by Pliny Blackman, who would travel via raft on the nearby Winooski River to Lake Champlain then north to purchase items for his store.
The store changed hands many times since Pliny opened it. Eugene and Henry Jordan took ownership in the 1890's and transformed it to a thriving business over the next 40 years.
Some of us at Barred Woods started purchasing at the store in the 1980's while the store was owned and ran by well known Gerry and Lil Desso. For more than 30 years they ran the store much as it had been run for the previous 190 years, selling a wide variety of goods, serving as a place for local villagers to meet and gossip, and as a US Post Office. Gerry and Lil were always cheerful and helpful, and there seemed to be a buzz of constant energy and chatter in the store.
The store no longer sells as wide a variety of goods as it once did, but instead focuses on local and craft food products. Even though you can't purchase plumbing fixtures, you can still get the small town friendly service. Just being in the store you sense the history of generations of hard working Vermont families that walked on those same floors. If you happen to be in Northern Vermont it's a great place to stop and visit - and purchase some Barred Woods Maple Syrup of course!