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F. H. Gillingham & Sons

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Coordinates: 43°37′32″N 72°31′09″W / 43.6255494°N 72.5192811°W / 43.6255494; -72.5192811
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F. H. Gillingham & Sons
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail
Founded1886; 138 years ago (1886) in Woodstock, Vermont
FounderFrank Henry Gillingham
Headquarters
16 Elm Street, Woodstock, Vermont
,
United States
Key people
Franklin S. Billings III
Jireh S. Billings
Websitewww.gillinghams.com
F. H. Gillingham & Sons
F. H. Gillingham & Sons, Elm Street, November 2019
F. H. Gillingham & Sons is located in Vermont
F. H. Gillingham & Sons
F. H. Gillingham & Sons is located in the United States
F. H. Gillingham & Sons
Coordinates43°37′32″N 72°31′09″W / 43.6255494°N 72.5192811°W / 43.6255494; -72.5192811
Part ofWoodstock Village Historic District (ID73000274)
Designated CPJanuary 22, 1973

F. H. Gillingham & Sons is a historic general store in Woodstock, Vermont. Specializing in retail and mail order, the company was established in 1886, and is operated by the Billings family.[1][2]

History

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F. H. Gillingham & Sons, Elm Street, early 1900s

Founded in 1886, F. H. Gillingham & Sons remains in its original building at 16 Elm Street in Woodstock.[2] It is the oldest, same-family operated general store in Vermont.[3] It has partnered with local cheesemakers and other farmers to help promote and distribute Vermont products.[4][5]

Frank Henry Gillingham, who worked as clerk in a general store in the building, purchased the store with a partner in 1884. By 1886, he bought out his partner and renamed the operation F. H. Gillingham's General Store. He expanded the store to use the entire building by around 1900. Today, the store maintains an appearance of an old-fashioned general store, with creaky wood floors and 8,000 square feet of rooms.[6]

The store has been a popular tourist destination for several decades and has been featured in many New England, and national publications.[7][6]

The Billings branch of the family bought the business during the 1970s; prior to that, the line of succession was from F. H. to his two sons to a grandson-in-law.[6]

Architecture

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The three-story brick Federal-style building was constructed in 1810 by Sylvester Edson and Titus Hutchinson. The first floor was used for a mercantile operated by Edson and Hutchinson's law office. The Vermont State Bank occupied the second story. It passed through a succession of owners over several decades and held various stores, including a livery.[6]

The building is within the boundaries of the Woodstock Village Historic District, which has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since January 22, 1973.[8][9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Calta, Marialisa (August 13, 1986). "Old and New Thrive at Vermont Store". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Reinstein, Ted (October 13, 2017). New England's General Stores: Exploring an American Classic. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-4930-2880-1.
  3. ^ Vermont Magazine. Vol. 13. North Country Pub. 2001. p. 61.
  4. ^ Tarkington, Melissa (January 1, 2021). "A Valley's "Success Story"". The Rutland Herald – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Kelly, David A. (June 22, 2007). "Trails, Trains and a Syrup House in Woodstock, Vt". The New York Times.
  6. ^ a b c d Eiseman, Alberta (June 7, 1987). "Shoppers's World; Vermont Tradition, From Soup to Nuts". The New York Times.
  7. ^ Downs, Virginia C. (September 27, 1981). "Caviar, manure at this unique general store". Newspapers.com. The Boston Globe. p. 47. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  8. ^ "NPGallery Asset Detail, Woodstock Village Historic District". NPGallery Digital Asset Management System, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  9. ^ "Form 10-300 - Woodstock Village Historic District, #73000274". United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. January 22, 1973. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
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