ALDERSON (WVDN) – Alderson is home to what is considered the oldest, continuously operating, family-owned and operated retail store in the state, Alderson’s Store. This year, the establishment is celebrating 135 years of business.
According to the general manager Sarah Alderson, the story of Alderson’s began with her great-grandfather, John Marshall Alderson II, in 1887. At that time, he opened the store as J.M. Alderson General Merchandise. As the name implies, the business carried a wide variety of items. Sarah said, “It sold many of the necessities of the time, always with its customers’ needs and wants in mind.”
When the next generation’s John Marshall Alderson III began running the store in the 1920s, the merchandise changed a bit. While there were some of the items from before, the new owner turned his attention to women’s clothing.
Sarah stated, “My grandfather, John Marshall Alderson III, began to turn it into a women’s clothing store with some general store holdovers in the 1920s, because he saw that as the way of the future and what his customers were wanting. It remained very successful as such for much of the 20th century.”
J.M. Alderson III passed away in 1986, when the store was only a month shy of its 100th birthday. His son, John Marshall Alderson IV, Sarah’s father, inherited the business at this time. Sarah spoke about this juncture in the store’s history saying, “He was still working full-time in his insurance career but did not want to close the store. Some of my grandfather’s longtime employees kept it going in the interim. And then my mother, Betty Alderson, stepped in and started helping it evolve again to suit the times and the customers.
“Today, we’ve come back to our roots of selling a little bit of everything for everyone. The fourth generation continues to diversify what we sell and make it a kind of modern general store,” said Sarah.
An historical icon and staple, Alderson’s Store has continued to operate through many dire situations. Sarah noted, “So far, we’ve survived two world wars, a flu pandemic, the stock market crash and the Great Depression, our first building burning to the ground, various recessions, the COVID-19 pandemic and more. Our generation hopes to keep it going as long as we can, and maybe even the next generation could help it to continue.”
In addition to starting this successful business, the Alderson family is steeped in local history.
“Alderson’s Store — officially J.M. Alderson General Merchandise LLC — is a major part of the history of the town of Alderson. It was started, and is still run, by direct descendants of Elder John Alderson, the frontier minister who settled the town in 1777. He also started the oldest Baptist church west of the Alleghenies, the Old Greenbrier Baptist Church, and the family has been starting and running businesses ever since — including the town’s first ferry, an early mill, a bank, a college, another general store and more.” Sarah stated.
Part of the store’s rich history is not only the building that holds the store but also the surrounding buildings. According to Sarah, they hope to save another building in the historic district that has ties to their history. She said, “It’s a quaint cottage-style building that historians and architects have confirmed is likely the oldest commercial building still standing in Alderson. It was once owned by our great-grandfather, who started the store. When our original building burned to the ground in 1930, he moved that other little building to our former lot and began to build our current building in its place.”
The building that now houses Alderson’s Store was designed by the renowned West Virginia architect Walter Martens, who also designed the Governor’s Mansion in Charleston. The Alderson building was completed in 1932 and is considered a “pristine example of Art Deco architecture,” said Sarah.
Sarah spoke about her favorite things about the store. “One of my favorite things about the store, besides its history, is really the customers. They are literally what keeps us going,” she said. “To my granddaddy, customer service was key. My mom loved talking with customers and watching them discover and enjoy the merchandise and the displays she created. And now I find myself doing many of the things they did.”
The store holds a multitude of memories spanning decades. Sarah said she and her siblings hold a great many memories from growing up in the store including their first jobs. Even so, it is the memories of longtime customers she loves to hear.
“What’s even more special is hearing all the memories that customers of all ages share with me now. It makes me thoroughly realize and appreciate what an important role the store has played in our community. And those are memories that would be great to share for future generations. In fact, most of my career for much of my life has involved writing. Maybe there’s a book in there somewhere to be written about the legacy of this wonderful little store in a town called Alderson, West Virginia.”
As part of Alderson’s Store’s ongoing community-related efforts, they hold an annual holiday book drive. According to Sarah, they got the idea for the book drive from their ever-growing collection of books connected to or about West Virginia, written by or illustrated by a West Virginian.
She said, “Our children’s books happen to be some of the most popular, and we thought it would be great to make sure our local elementary school students could each get a new one for Christmas. We truly believe in fostering a love of books and reading at a young age, particularly because our mother, Betty Alderson, did that for us.”
The store commits to collecting approximately 650 books each year. According to Sarah, the community is always generous in helping them reach their goals. This year, they need 289 more books to meet their goal.
“The book drive also gives back and helps others in several other ways. We buy books primarily from West Virginia publishers, distributors and authors. So, this project not only helps local children and schools, but it also benefits West Virginia small businesses, writers, artists and more, while also promoting our state. And it shows children that they could be writers and illustrators or work in related careers as well.” Sarah said.
For more information about the history of Alderson’s Store or the book drive, visit the store’s Facebook page or stop by for a visit. The store is located at 320 Monroe Street South, Alderson, WV 24910. To reach Alderson’s Store, call 304-445-2851 or email aldersonsstore@gmail.com.
