(Not So) General Stores: Harrisville General Store

What makes a general store more than a place to buy pantry items and run into the neighbor down the street? It’s a family-centric quality; it’s an “everyone is welcome here, browse-at-will” vibe; it offers feelings of warm nostalgia while placing a strong emphasis on serving the local community. We feature eight stores on the following pages that celebrate that feeling of community and nostalgia in just the right amounts.

Read more profiles on some of NH’s (not so) general stores:

Ira Miller’s General Store – Milton Mills

Calef’s Country Store – Barrington

Zeb’s General Store – North Conway

Newfields General Store – Newfields

The Robie Store – Hooksett

Old Country Store and Museum – Moultonborough

Mont Vernon General Store – Mont Vernon

The Harrisville General Store, established in 1838, satisfies all the qualities of a local institution. Opening more than 30 years before Harrisville officially formed, it’s intrinsically woven into the fabric of the town. The general store is part of the town’s historic district, and has been owned by Historic Harrisville since 2008.

“It started as a true general store, serving the inhabitants of this small village, which were mostly workers at the textile mill across the street,” manager Laura Carden says.

Residents have maintained and preserved much of the town’s original patchwork, including the textile, grist and saw mills that originally fed this remote locale. With its restored brick buildings and village center,
Harrisville possesses that classic New England feel. 

As a result, tourists treasure Harrisville because it resembles the “quintessential” New Hampshire town, inside and out. The town still holds its Old Home Days. Farmers mix with people on laptops and cell phones. It’s also a big employer in the town, Carden says. Of its 15 employees, 13 live in Harrisville.

Carden’s shop stays open year-round, seven days a week, and as a general store, they try to stock as much as possible.

“We have a curated selection of the basics and popular specialty items,” says Carden, who prioritizes local vendors, ensuring the food sold here is as fresh as possible. 

“Our eggs are always local. Our bread is delivered several days a week from our two favorite local bakeries. In season, our produce is local. Our meat is local. We offer local crafts, soap, candles, maple syrup. Whatever is available locally, we get it,” she says.

Hungry travelers are also welcome: Customers can belly up to the short order counter, where breakfast and lunch are doled out daily. 

Their prepared foods are a big part of the business. 

“We make cider doughnuts and pastry every morning, as well as breakfast sandwiches and burritos made to order or grab and go. For lunch, we make our own soups, sandwiches, pizza, burgers, deli salads and desserts. We also feature one entree a day,” Carden says.

In-house beer and wine are also available. Customers can get authentic espresso; during winter, they serve mulled cider.

In the past, the store was family-owned, with mothers, fathers and children living upstairs; today, the upper floors are apartments owned by Historic Harrisville Inc., a nonprofit.

Carden says when the store’s previous owner was unable to make the business sustainable and closed, Historic Harrisville stepped in. 

“Historic Harrisville decided that the store was such a vital part of the community, and therefore vital to its mission as an organization, that it decided to take a stab at running the store itself. They hired me and my mother, M’lue Zahner, to reopen the store and manage it.”

With a 2020 Census population just shy of 1,000, Carden says it’s not always easy to run a general store here.

“In summer we’re very busy, but in the winter, it is very, very quiet. It’s hard to survive the slow wintertime. It’s very difficult for businesses like these to make a profit. It manages to be sustainable now only with the help of fundraising campaigns by Historic Harrisville Inc.,” Carden says.

The general store pays taxes that support the town’s schools, library and other needs, and is part of a registered charity. A large majority of money spent at the store stays in Harrisville. 

When the pandemic struck and retail locations shuttered, Harrisville General Store stepped up its efforts to be a trusted resource for residents and visitors, as well as a refuge.

The spring, 2020 edition of Harrisville’s “Common Threads” newsletter noted that the general store stayed open, and included a list of its available goods — including toilet paper — and provided pickup and delivery service.

Above all, community members often gather here to do more than just check items off their laundry list. 

“It is a very vibrant and regular meeting place. We also host a few dinners a year, plus book readings by local authors, mini- concerts and monthly shows by local artists. We strive to serve the needs of our community and visitors,” Carden says. 

29 Church St., Harrisville, historicharrisville.org/general-store