Old store is time capsule to a bygone era
By Anna Mitchell Staff Writer

On any given sunny day in Peachtree you might find Jerry Sudderth sitting in his rocking chair selling vegetables and chatting with anyone who comes along. Jerry's love of gab and zucchinis however isn't what makes his story incredible - it is his merchandise store.

Directly next to Jerry's bountiful summer garden is an ancient, two-story wooden building with a metal plaque reading "Store of William P. Brittain Opened June 13, 1884". The store belonged to Jerry's great great grandfather and has since then been passed down to him. Still, this isn't the most remarkable fact about the store. Since it's last day of buisness in 1932 the General Store in Peachtree has remained completely preserved and intact with everything from the jars of candy, to the cans of Prince Albert tobacco on the shelves. "One night my great grandfather locked up the store and went home. Later that night he had a stroke and died. Ever since then the store has remained the same." said Jerry.

The store was built by M.L Brittain and he and his son W, P. Brittain both ran mercantile businesses in Peachtree. The store served as a general merchandise store as well as a post office during the adminstration of Grover Cleveland. Few alterations have been made to the original structure which dates back to the revolutionary war.

ANNA MITCHELL/Sentinel photo (Left) Jars of candy in airtight containers have remained preserved over the years in the William P. Brittain store. (Above) Jerry Sudderth stands outside the house belonging to his great grandfather selling vegetables grown from his own garden.

Walking into the store is a surreal experience. Bottles of ointments and faded advertisements line the walls. The relatively small room is packed full of everything that someone in the 1900's could want. Dresses hang from the rafters as well as assortments of axes and frying pans. A display of moth eaten ties adorn the front table with a display of lady's boots behind. Pocket knives, meat grinders, lamps and bullets, all covered with dust, fill the shelves. A tattered American flag hangs beside the door next to a sign for Singer sewing machines. This time capsule of a store holds memories that Jerry is eager to retell.

ANNA MITCHELL/sentinel photo William P. Brittain's desk and workspace sits to the back of the store. An ancient cash register now only collects dust.

Jerry fondly pointed out a small wooden chair towards the back of the store that belonged to his grandmother when she was young. He recalled the stories that she told of when she was young watching civil war veterans playing checkers in the store and telling war tales.

A black and white picture of William P. Brittain hangs on a wall to the back of the store with a list of medicines hanging next to it. "It was the only store in the area so it carried just about everything you needed, Mr Brittain wasn't a druggist, but he was about the closest thing to it." said Jerry.

A wooden ballot box complete with a slit in the top and a metal lock sat on a back table. The elections were tallied

through this box and according to Jerry Peachtree residents voted Abraham Lincoln into office from that ballot.

The William P. Brittain store has not only captured the attention of the local community, but of the nation as well. When the department store Belk's was having their 100th anniversary, they asked Jerry if they could use his store as a setting for their tv commercial. "I agreed to let them, but I told them that nothing could be touched." said Jerry. "The only thing they asked to move was a JC Penny catalog in a display case," he laughed.

ANNA MITCHELL/sentinel photo A box of marbles sits behind the counter. When the store was open kids could buy a scoop of these colorful balls for a penny.

The William P. Brittan store remains an artifact of a bygone era, a piece of history frozen in time that most pass without notice. "People have come up to me and said that they have lived in Peachtree for 60 years and

never knew that this building used to be a store." said Jerry. While the store is not open to the public, Jerry will allow interested visitors who are willing to pay five dollars to look inside - and for the closest thing to a time portal who wouldn't take him up on his offer?

ANNA MITCHELL/sentinel photo The William P. Brittan Store has remained the same since 1932. Located in Peachtree many people passing by are unaware of the historical significance of this building. ANNA MITCHELL/sentinel photo Tins of snuff and tobacco line the shelves of the store. Brand names such as Tops, Tube Rose, Bruton, Navy, and Buttercup were popular in those days. ANNA MITCHELL/sentinel photo Right: A mill was used when customers needed to grind their corn into meal. Glass jars and bullets line the walls behind the mill. Customers could buy one bullet or a pack of bullets depending on their needs.