January always feels like the right time to pause, look around, and remember where we’ve been. At The Old Store, that reflection comes naturally, because history isn’t something we display here, it’s something we live with every day.
The original store was built around the turn of the twentieth century, during a time when agriculture in Grassy Creek was thriving. From the very beginning, the building served many roles in the community. Over the years, it functioned not only as a general store, but also as a doctor’s office and a post office, an essential hub for daily life in Grassy Creek.
In more recent decades, the store was owned by the Sturgill family. Many locals remember when the business moved to the A‑frame brick building at the corner of Grassy Creek Road and Old Highway 16. Known fondly as “The Station,” that brick gas station store was operated by Brad Sturgill until around 1990. It was then purchased by the Chefas family and became the main office for Hart‑T‑Tree Farms, beginning another chapter in the life of this familiar place.
In 2020, the Chefas family chose to bring the story full circle. The original building was carefully renovated and reopened as a general store and small event venue, once again welcoming people through its doors. From the start, the goal has been simple but meaningful: to tell the story of Grassy Creek and to allow The Old Store to serve as a gathering place again, not just for locals, but for anyone who happens to pass through this beautiful corner of Ashe County.
One of our favorite parts of running The Old Store has nothing to do with what’s on the shelves. It’s the people. We love meeting new faces, sharing the history of the building, and hearing what brings visitors here. Just as special are the moments when local customers stop in and begin sharing their own memories, stories of shopping here years ago, family connections, and sometimes even photographs from decades past. Those moments remind us that this building has always belonged to the community.
If you take a close look around, you’ll notice that much of what you see isn’t new. Most of the artifacts and décor throughout The Old Store are original to the building, or date back to the 1950s and 1960s. These pieces help tell the story of everyday life as it once was. Woven throughout the space are words and images that also share the broader history of Grassy Creek, which became the first rural historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
That history includes one of Grassy Creek’s most well‑known stories,the legend of the hellbender. Ask around, and you may hear that the hellbender “saved Grassy Creek.” Like many good stories, the truth is a bit more complicated, but the roots of the tale are real.
In 1962, the Appalachian Power Company announced plans to build a hydro‑electric dam on the New River. The project would have flooded Grassy Creek and surrounding communities, displacing families whose ties to the land stretched back generations. Adding to the concern, the electricity generated by the dam was intended to be sent out of state, offering little benefit to North Carolina residents.
Local citizens organized and fought to protect their homes, land, and history. Years passed with no clear resolution, until Congress created the National Wild and Scenic River System in 1968. Rivers considered for this designation must meet strict criteria, including ecological and historical significance. By 1976, the New River, one of the oldest rivers on Earth and unusual for flowing south to north,earned its place on that protected list, halting the dam project.
The hellbender salamander, a rare and ancient species found in the river, played a role in highlighting the ecological importance of the New River during those deliberations. Whether it was the deciding factor may never be known. What is certain is that the hellbender has become a powerful symbol of the deep history of these hills and the shared responsibility to protect the land and the stories tied to it.
As we move forward into a new year, we’re grateful to be caretakers of a place with so much meaning. The Old Store isn’t just about preserving the past, it’s about continuing a tradition of connection, conversation, and community. Every visit, every shared memory, and every story told across the counter adds another layer to a history that is still being written. We hope you will stop by and be a part of our story!