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Brick Store
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	21 Lisbon Road, Bath, New Hampshire
Coordinates	44°10′1.2″N 71°57′57.8″W / 44.167000°N 71.966056°W / 44.167000; -71.966056
Area	less than one acre
Built	ca. 1790
Architectural style	Federal
NRHP reference No.	85002780
Added to NRHP	November 07, 1985

The Brick Store, at 21 Lisbon Road in Bath, New Hampshire, claims to be the oldest continuously operating general store in the United States.

History

The initial construction date of this brick two-story structure is uncertain, and was claimed to be 1804 by a 1937 reference work. Its predominantly Federal styling supports a date in this timeframe. It is known through other documentation to have been standing in 1814, and was damaged by fire in 1824. Repairs at that time probably included adding Greek Revival elements to the building's exterior. Although numerous Federal-style brick buildings were built in Bath, this is the only commercial one to survive.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Located on the Ammonoosuc River, the store is one of the most well-known landmarks of northern New Hampshire. Not only does it sell groceries, gas, and beer, at one time it was a place where customers could drop off UPS packages and dry-cleaning, and pick up mail. It is famous for its buttermilk donuts, smoked meats, fudge, and fudge-covered meats. The store is especially well known for its smoked cheese and smoked pepperoni. The store is a regular stop on the presidential campaign trail; candidate Barack Obama visited the store on May 28, 2007, with his daughters.

Due to a combination of a poor economy generally, and the loss of local customers to major chain stores, the store suffered financially in the early 2000s. The closing of the Bath Covered Bridge for 20 months in 2012-2014 further hurt business. The store was sold at auction in July 2016 for $235,000. The new owners renovated the store with an eye to historic appropriateness, and it was re-opened in July 2017.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Grafton County, New Hampshire

References

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. The Brick Store's website
3. "NRHP nomination for Brick Store". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-10-25.
4. ^ Koziol, John (13 January 2016). "Bath's Brick Store is closing". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
5. ^ McCormack, Kathy (27 November 2016). "New owners plan to bring closed N.H. general store back to life". The Concord Monitor. Associated Press. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
6. ^ "Historic Brick Store in Bath sold at auction". WMUR9. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
7. "America's Oldest General Store". The Brick Store. Retrieved 31 January 2017. We will be sure to announce in advance our opening date as soon as we finalize it.

External links

• The Brick Store official website

v t e National Register of Historic Places in Grafton County, New Hampshire
National Historic Landmark	The Epic of American Civilization Murals
Historic districts	Ashland Gristmill and Dam Canaan Street Historic District Central Square Historic District Colburn Park Historic District Dorchester Common Historic District Enfield Shaker Historic District Enfield Village Historic District Haverhill Corner Historic District Hebron Village Historic District Lyme Center Historic District Lyme Common Historic District Orford Street Historic District Plymouth Historic District Shepard Hill Historic District True Farm Webster Estate
Historic properties	Abbie Greenleaf Library Ashland Junior High School Ashland Railroad Station Bath Covered Bridge Bedell Covered Bridge‡ Boulderwood Brick Store Bristol Town Hall Burleigh Brae and Webster Boathouse Burt–Cheney Farm Camp Carnes Camp Mowglis Camp Ossipee Canaan Meetinghouse Centre Village Meeting House Chapel of the Holy Cross Chocorua Island Chapel Daniel Carr House Dorchester Community Church Dow Academy Edward H. Lane House Enfield Center Town House Felsengarten First Free Will Baptist Church and Vestry Frost Place Goodall-Woods Law Office Great Hollow Road Stone Arch Bridge Hanover Town Library Haverhill–Bath Covered Bridge Hewitt House Holderness Free Library Holderness Inn Jeremiah Hutchins Tavern Lisbon Inn Littleton Town Building Lovett's by Lafayette Brook Lyme–East Thetford Bridge‡ Minot–Sleeper Library Morey Memorial Bridge‡ Moses Kent House Norman and Marion Perry House North Holderness Freewill Baptist Church–Holderness Historical Society Building Old Grafton County Courthouse Owls Head Piermont Bridge‡ The Rocks Rockywold–Deephaven Camps Sawyer–Medlicott House Sphinx Tomb Spring Hill Farm St. Mark's Episcopal Church Stone Arch Underpass Swiftwater Covered Bridge Thayer's Hotel Trinity Church US Post Office and Courthouse–Littleton Main Watch Rock Camp Whipple House Woodsville Opera Building
Footnotes	‡This historic property also has portions in an adjacent state.
See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Grafton County, New Hampshire and List of National Historic Landmarks in New Hampshire

• Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire
• Federal architecture in New Hampshire
• Commercial buildings completed in 1790
• Buildings and structures in Grafton County, New Hampshire
• Commercial buildings in New Hampshire
• Tourist attractions in Grafton County, New Hampshire
• 1790 establishments in New Hampshire
• National Register of Historic Places in Grafton County, New Hampshire
• Bath, New Hampshire