8 Old-Timey General Stores In Georgia

The rich history of Georgia stretches back centuries, from its establishment in 1733 as the last of the original thirteen colonies to a state where tradition and community hold firm. The development of small, rural communities made general stores essential hubs of daily life. First popping up in the early 1800s, general stores served as one-stop shops for the residents of small towns or prospectors in search of gold. Today, Georgia’s well-preserved general stores are reminders of a slower, simpler way of life, and there’s no better way to explore the Peach State than by taking the back roads and discovering these eight old-timey general stores.

The Carter Store (Archery)

The Jimmy Carter National Historical Park was established in 2021. The park pays tribute to the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter. At 71 acres, the park preserves several significant sites. It gives history buffs a glimpse into the small-town life and values that shaped the U.S. president, including the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Home, the Plains High School where he graduated in 1941, the Plains Depot, which was the location of his 1976 Presidential Campaign Headquarters, and the Carter Store.

During the 1930s, the Carter Store was a community hub and general store where local farmers, workers, and sharecroppers came for essential supplies, often on credit. Today, the park preserves the old-timey general store much like it looked back in the day, and inside, the shelves are organized to represent typical items stocked at the time. The store sits next to the Carter family farm and is a top destination for presidential enthusiasts in the Peach State.

Old Sautee Store (Sautee Nacoochee)

The Old Sautee Store is a part of North Georgia’s history and was a stop along the historic trading route known as the Unicoi Trail connecting the area to Tennessee and North Carolina. Built in 1872, it was a general store before incorporating a post office in 1893, which was still in operation until 1962. In the mid-20th century, the store was purchased by Astrid and Mervin Fried, who began transforming the store into a living museum, mainly due to Marvin’s fascination with the history of general stores. He started collecting antiques, memorabilia, and vintage collectibles from defunct general stores, turning the front part of the Old Sautee Store into a modern-day immersive experience, inviting shoppers to step back in time. Today, the Old Sautee Store is part museum, part market, where locals and visitors can enjoy the old-time nostalgia while picking up southern classic sandwiches, fresh bread, and imported Farmer Cheese from Norway.

Sunrise Grocery (Blairsville)

Since the early 1920s, Sunrise Grocery has been a fixture in the mountains of North Georgia. It is the oldest business in Union County. In 1983, the Clemmons family, on vacation from Florida, stopped by the little general store and asked the then-owner, Mr. Comer Saxon, if the store was for sale. The store transitioned from a country store to a grocery store. The store has stayed in the Clemmons family since, selling local fresh produce, handmade items like candles and soap, artwork, knitted products, and their famous boiled peanuts.

Sunrise Grocery is in Blairsville, minutes from Vogel State Park, Georgia’s second-oldest state park. The park is at the base of Blood Mountain, the highest summit on the Appalachian Trail in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Consider a peaceful getaway after stocking up at the historic Sunrise Grocery with an overnight stay at one of the pet-friendly Sunrise River Cabins.

Dahlonega General Store (Dahlonega)

In the friendliest small town in Georgia, lovers of old-timey general stores will find plenty to discover at the Dahlonega General Store. While the store is not a bona fide general store from the 19th century, it pays tribute to the general stores that were once plentiful in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, supplying the needs of prospectors during the Georgia Gold Rush when gold was discovered in 1828 in Dahlonega. Stepping through the door of the traditional Dahlonega General Store is like stepping back in history, where shoppers will find an impressive selection of jams, jellies, and sauces like Sourwood Honey, Sweet Bourbon Glaze, and Georgia Peach Preserves. There are books on the gold mining history of the small town, ghost stories of Georgia, old-fashioned toys like marbles, and nostalgic old-fashioned hard candy.

C.F. Hays and Son General Store (Musella)

Established in 1900, the C.F. Hays and Son General Store is in the small peach-packing town of Musella, about 20 miles west of Macon. The store was started by the local celebrity peach family, who own Dickey Farms, the state’s oldest continuously operating peach packinghouse. In 1934, C.F. Hays began running the store, eventually purchasing it from Dickey. The store has been passed down through the generations and is now run by the grandson of C.F. Hays, Cary Hays. The store is full of memorabilia from days gone by, but still sells country store staples, ringing up purchases on an antique cash register. According to locals, the store opens on weekends from April to August every year.

Nora Mill Granary Grist Mill and General Store (Helen)

The Nora Mill Granary is a still-operational grist mill in the alpine village of Helen, established in 1876 alongside the Chattahoochee River. The mill was built by a miner who arrived in Georgia to strike gold, then changed hands when the former governor of the state purchased the mill and named it after his late sister, Nora. The grist mill is currently in its 4th generation of family ownership and operations. The mill uses the original 1,500 pound French Burr Stones to grind and produce all its own corn and wheat-based products such as grits, cornmeal, pancake & waffle mixes, flours, biscuit and bread mixes, which are available for purchase at the mill or online.

Part of the Nora Mill Grist and Granary, the Nora Mill General Store is an old-timey country store stocked with old-fashioned candy and homemade Nora Mill Granary products like Georgia peach grilling sauce, apple pecan dressing, jellies, honey, and more.

R.M. Jones General Store (Jones Crossroads)

The R. M. Jones General Store is a historic general store in Jones Crossroads, Georgia. Jones Crossroads is a community in Harris and Troup counties, located at the crossroads of what was once a stagecoach route in the 1820s. It was named after local landowner Christopher Columbus Jones, who established a tavern, a cotton gin, and a horse racetrack in the area. His son, Munroe Jones, established the R.M. Hones General Store, also known as the Crossroads Store, in 1903, an important trading store for the rural farmers of western Georgia. It has been owned and operated by members of the Avery family since the 1920s and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 10, 2009. The building is constructed entirely out of stone, which is a testament to its longevity.

Cave Spring General Store (Cave Spring)

Cave Spring is a small town about 90 minutes from the capital city of Atlanta. The town’s name comes from a natural limestone cave with a mineral spring that has been the community's drinking water for years. The spring's pristine water, often collected by visitors in jugs to take home, also feeds the town's 1.55-acre swimming pool, known as Rolater Lake, in the historic 29-acre Rolater Park. The well-preserved village is full of historic homes from the late 1800s, including the landmark 1810 Van Cherokee Cabin, the oldest building in town. Visitors can explore the cabin and the unique one-of-a-kind gift shops, including the Cave Spring General Store, where they can find locally crafted goods, handmade souvenirs, and vintage items that capture the charm and history of the town.

Exploring Georgia’s small-town old-timey general stores is like stepping into a time machine, where visitors can experience a unique blend of history, charm, and nostalgia. From the Carter Store, a community hub intrinsically linked to a future president, to a general store that popped up to serve the needs of gold-hungry prospectors, to an owner’s passion for collecting antiques that transformed a shop into a living museum, these stores tell a story. These eight old-timey general stores are perfect for browsing shelves filled with locally made goods, enjoying southern comfort food, or marveling at relics of a bygone era.