In a world of mega-marts, a few quirky pit stops endure across the Piedmont.
Story by Pete Pazmino • Photos by Sheila R. Lamb
BLUE RIDGE GROCERY
1908 Zachary Taylor Hywy., Huntly
Tucked alongside a swooping curve of Route 522 as it descends from Rappahannock County’s Chester Gap, the Blue Ridge Grocery was originally established in 1929 by Henry W. Reager, who operated his business out of the front half of what was at the time his house. Today, the entire building serves as the store and the current proprietor, a man named Jack Sharp, who sports a moustache and mischievous grin, lives in a house out back.
“I always wanted to own a country store,” explains Jack, who took over the Grocery in 1986. As he describes the other jobs he has held, it’s clear that he’s not someone who likes a lot of the same. He’s been an animal warden in Rappahannock and an electrician on the U.S.S. America. Also, a photographer. At NASA, he worked on developing the infamous “Earthrise” photo. You know it – it’s the one of Earth rising over a lunar landscape, taken by Apollo astronauts from the Moon.
The store itself has every bit the eclectic feel of Jack’s career history. The front yard is decorated with brightly painted old wheelbarrows and plows. Old soda signs adorn the outside walls. The notice on the front door informs customers that the store is “open by occasion.” Inside feels a little bit like a carnival that has come unspun.
“If I don’t have it, you don’t need it,” Jack proclaims, and while it’s true that the store does offer up a variety of essentials on a spectrum that seems to run from Advil to toothpaste to ice, it really is much more of an antique shop and art gallery than a market.
There are the photographs, of course. Jack is still very much into photography and sells his own work, which mostly consists of photos he’s taken of local landmarks. He’s also a skilled woodworker and sells a variety of wooden birdhouses, walking sticks, and “whirligigs” (think wooden birds with rotating wings that can be used as lawn decorations) that he makes himself. In addition, there are what Jack describes as his “collectibles and rare items.” These include glass bottles, old farm implements, and even an old BB gun he bought in 1950. There’s plenty of other memorabilia, not all of which is for sale. The effect is almost that of a museum. There’s a Skyline Caverns bumper sign that would be attached to a car’s bumper in the days before stickers or magnets. An old axe sharpener that looks like a stone-wheeled bicycle. Marlboro signs and countless old toys. And much more.
Foodwise, Jack sells blackberry jam, strawberry jam, and apple butter under a Blue Ridge Grocery label. He also has locally sourced honey. For the road, he’s got a variety of cold drinks, ice cream, and pre-packaged snacks. Jack estimates that his clientele consists of roughly equal amounts locals and tourists, but admits that many of his tourists only stop in because they’re trying to find someplace else. “You’re not lost,” he likes to tell them. “You just don’t know where you are right now.”
The drive: From Washington D.C., take the Route 55 exit at Linden (exit 13). Turn left off the exit ramp, then right onto 55 itself. You’ll pass the Apple House, a great local eatery with fantastic fresh doughnuts, and in about eight miles you’ll reach the town of Front Royal. Turn left at 522; follow the road for about 10 miles. You’ll pass the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, a sprawling research facility operated by the National Zoo, and then climb through Chester Gap. As you’re beginning your descent, the grocery will be on the left. It comes up quickly, so pay attention.
LAUREL MILLS STORE
461 Laurel Mills Rd., Castleton
A solid, red-brick building with a wide front porch and plenty of bench space for porch-sitting, the Laurel Mills Store dates back to 1877, when it was originally built as a company store for a wool mill on the nearby Thornton River. For 25 years, up until 2012, it was operated by local icon Marie Francis Fannon.
Last October, it was purchased at auction by its current owners, Marion Sharp and her husband Bill. “It was a very sudden decision our part,” Marion explains. “I’ve been going to that store for 50 years. I grew up right down the road. I have so many childhood memories of my dad bringing me there.”
The store itself sits across the road from a line of old houses, just before a tight curve on Laurel Mills Road on the way into Castleton, now famous for its annual opera and concert festival. There’s a line of four gas pumps in the parking lot, the old-fashioned kind that don’t accept credit cards and need to be activated inside. Countless passing feet have worn a small depression on the porch in front of the door. Inside, the wide floor planks are equally worn. A sign on the counter perfectly captures the mood of the place: A day in the country is worth a month in town.
The store features all the dry goods you would expect in a local market. It also features, well-known by the locals, a deli counter at which you can purchase a wide variety of sandwiches, including a classic PB&J ($1.79), pork barbecue ($3.49) and liverwurst ($2.89). You can buy soup ($3.09 for a medium-sized portion), local eggs ($3.00 for a dozen), and “oinkie ears” for your dog ($1.49 each). And Marion is always on the lookout for new products.
“Every time I’m out in the community, I’m always looking to see what I can bring in,” she says. Her new additions so far include healthy snacks such as green bean and vegetable chips, Trickling Springs ice cream (“It’s out of this world,” Marion gushes), Virginia peanuts, and Northern Neck Ginger Ale.
It’s the community events that really set the Laurel Mills Store apart, though. “I love special events, getting the whole community there,” Marion explains.
On the first Friday of every month, for example, the store hosts a fish fry. For $10.99, guests can hang out and enjoy fried fish, root beer floats, coleslaw, fresh fruit, and other savory delights that in the past have included soft shell crabs, frogs’ legs, and homemade bread. There are also black-eyed peas on New Years Day, a tradition that Mary Francis Fannon started and Marion has continued.
“Hundreds of people come,” she says. “It’s never advertised, but every New Year’s Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the store is open and people come and get a big hot bowl of black eyed peas.”
Another unadvertised tradition: For decades of Sunday mornings, an eclectic mix of folks — from former Cabinet secretaries to farmers — gather and talk about the news over coffee and thick newspapers.
The drive: From Washington D.C., take the Route 55 exit at Linden (exit 13). Turn left off the exit ramp, then right onto 55 itself. You’ll pass the Apple House, a great local eatery with fantastic fresh doughnuts, and in about eight miles you’ll reach the town of Front Royal. Turn left at 522; follow the road for about 10 miles. You’ll pass the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, a sprawling research facility operated by the National Zoo, and then climb through Chester Gap. As you’re beginning your descent, the grocery will be on the left. It comes up quickly, so pay attention.
To Do on the Drive
If it’s wineries you’re looking for, there are two in the immediate area. Just up the hill from the grocery, heading back into Front Royal, is Chester Gap Cellars (www.chestergapcellars.com), open Friday through Sunday, which offers spectacular views and wine. Down the hill is Rappahannock Cellars (www.rappahannockcellars.com), open seven days a week. Past Rappahannock Cellars, in the village of Flint Hill, you’ll find two full restaurants: The Public House (www.flinthillva.com), which offers great food and a surprisingly modern vibe, and Griffin Tavern (www.griffintavern.com), also a great dining option but decidedly more rustic. If you’re looking for a place to stay, The Public House also operates as a bed and breakfast with four available suites.
The drive: From the Blue Ridge Grocery, turn left on 522 and drive the 10 miles or so to Flint Hill. After passing through town (don’t speed!) turn left onto Route 729 and follow the old road’s curves past orchards, farms, vineyards, and the biggest woodpile you’ve ever seen. Cross Route 211, then continue straight for a few miles until you reach a stop sign at Laurel Mills Road. Turn right. The store is about 2 miles up on the right, just over the Thornton River and immediately past Lucyjack Lane.
To Do on the Drive
The Castleton Festival (www.castletonfestival.org) runs annually during the summer, and is internationally known as a premier destination for lovers of theatre, opera, and orchestral music. A quick trip back to Route 211 will put you within striking distance of several vineyards, including Gray Ghost Vineyards (www.grayghostvineyards.com), one of Virginia’s older establishments, and Narmada Winery (www.narmadawinery.com), which offers Virginia wine with a distinctly Indian flair.
SPERRYVILLE CORNER STORE
3710 Sperryville Pike, Sperryville
It was in the late 1850s that a man named P. O’Bannon first opened a store in the building that is today called the Sperryville Corner Store, and it’s been operated as a market ever since. There are, in fact, old store ledgers on the premises that list customer names and transaction records dating back to the 1860s, and the checkout counter dates back that far, too.
In 2000, the current owners, Andy Thompson, his wife Dana, and his parents Ken and Mary, bought it from its then-current owner, Randolph Clater. “We were looking to make a lifestyle change,” Andy explains.
The first thing you notice upon walking inside is the mouth-watering, doughy aroma of baking pizza. That’s because Rudy’s Pizza, which claims to serve “the best pizza in Sperryville” (it’s actually the only pizza in Sperryville, but that’s a minor distinction), is located right next door. You don’t even need to go outside to get there. On the other side is the Thornton River Grill, a popular full-service restaurant. Both are owned by the Thompsons. “We had two wings on the building that were not being utilized,” Andy explains. “One thing led to another.”
While Rudy’s Pizza and the Grill make this a great destination for any lunchtime or dinner meal, the store itself is more than ready to fulfill all your country picnic needs. It features an impressive selection of fresh produce (local during season), pre-made soups, and salads. Their dry goods range from canned meat to olive oil to banana chips to coffee. There’s an entire refrigerator’s worth of cheeses as well as a well-stocked meat counter, still managed by Randolph Clater, that offers thick cuts of beef, pork, chicken, and fish. They grind their own hamburger on-site and make sausage and bratwurst as well.
For those who prefer a more prepared picnic, the Corner Store offers pre-made sandwiches that are the brainchild of Terri Lehman, who oversees catering and prepared foods. You can call the store in advance and request sandwiches for pickup or take your chances at what’s in the fridge when you arrive – the variety of options include roast pork loin, a “ham and egger,” pork barbecue, chicken breast, and even an impressive vegetarian medley.
The store boasts a nice wine selection as well, with international offerings as well as a robust selection from local wineries including Chester Gap Cellars, Barboursville, Glen Manor, Gray Ghost, Gadino, and Linden. “We’ve developed relationships with the local wineries over the years,” Andy explains. “It’s in everybody’s best interests to support them.”
The store and its affiliated eateries have a large following of local customers, many of whom are themselves newcomers to the area and enjoy having a local destination for gourmet-quality food. “The demographics have changed a lot over the past 13 years,” Andy says. “A lot of people have bought or built out here. We sell less wedge cheese and baloney and more goat cheese and sushi tuna.” Even so, he confesses that there’s something more to the store for him. “The history’s a big part of it for us,” he says. “Being in continuous operation for 150 years.”
The drive: Head back to Route 211 and turn left. After a little more than 10 miles, take a left onto 522, which will take you across the Thornton River into the heart of Sperryville. Take a left over the bridge; the store is on the right, at the end of the block. Alternatively, if you’re looking for some backroad adventure (warning: some gravel), turn right out of Laurel Mills’ parking lot and venture around the curve. You’ll follow Laurel Mills Road for about a half mile, then turn right onto 619. In a little less than 2 miles, you’ll turn left onto 626 (Scrabble Road), which will drop you onto 522 right beside the Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church. Take a right, and you’ll find yourself in Sperryville in 6.5 miles. The store will be on the left.
To Do on the Drive
The Thornton Gap entrance to Skyline Drive is only a few miles down Route 211 from Sperryville; there are endless hiking, sightseeing, and picnicking destinations to choose from once you get there. In Sperryville itself, you’ll find the Rappahannock Central compound (www.riverdistrictarts.org), which includes three must-see destinations: the River District Arts gallery, which boasts over a dozen studios featuring work from local painters, sculptors, and other artists; Copper Fox Antiques (www.copperfoxantiques.com), which will suck hours from your day as you explore its endless nooks and crannies of antique treasures; and Wasmund’s Copper Fox Distillery (www.copperfox.biz/index), where you can tour a working whisky distillery and purchase real bottles of single-malt Virginia Scotch and Rye whiskey.
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