A group of people standing around a store - historic general stores

Self-guided · County in Tennessee

Historic General Stores in Grainger County, TN

General stores, mercantiles and trading posts near you, the one building every small town could not do without.

Architecture is history you can still walk into. Grainger County is one of 95 counties in Tennessee. The trick is knowing which doors have a story behind them.

Interior of an old general store with many shelves - historic general stores — Photo: Mateo Krossler on Unsplash

Old rustic general store with gas pumps and truck - historic general stores — Photo: Ronald Crow on Unsplash

Small general store with a porch and wreaths - historic general stores — Photo: Fabio Sasso on Unsplash

On the record near Grainger County, TN

The 12 nearest

24 listed sites on the record match historic general stores within 120 miles of Grainger County, TN, out of 43 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 8 listed sites carry Grainger County as their county.

Hamilton--Lay Store14 miles from the center of Grainger County · Building · Maynardville · listed 2011National Register of Historic Places
Ritz Theatre and Hoskins Rexall Drug Store No. 238 miles from the center of Grainger County · Building · Clinton · listed 1998National Register of Historic Places
Miser Station Store48 miles from the center of Grainger County · Building · Friendsville · listed 1989National Register of Historic Places
Carter, A. P., Store66 miles from the center of Grainger County · Building · Maces Spring · listed 1985National Register of Historic Places
Caudill, C.B., Store66 miles from the center of Grainger County · Building · Blackey · listed 2001National Register of Historic Places
Giddens, L. D., and Son Jewelry Store68 miles from the center of Grainger County · Building · Goldsboro · listed 1979National Register of Historic Places
Brooks, R. M., General Store and Residence69 miles from the center of Grainger County · Building · Rugby · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
Biltmore Shoe Store72 miles from the center of Grainger County · Building · Asheville · listed 1979National Register of Historic Places
Penland Post Office and General Store80 miles from the center of Grainger County · Building · Penland · listed 2012National Register of Historic Places
Beaty, James, General Merchandise Store84 miles from the center of Grainger County · Building · Grimsely · listed 2013National Register of Historic Places
Crain's Wholesale and Retail Store89 miles from the center of Grainger County · Building · Jackson · listed 1986National Register of Historic Places
Trew General Merchandise Store93 miles from the center of Grainger County · Building · Delano · listed 1976National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Grainger County, TN. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

General Stores in Grainger County, step by step

1
See every listed site of this kind in the area
2
Sort by distance and pick the closest few
3
Read the record for the year, the builder and the use
4
View from the public way and note what has changed
5
Collect the set and move on to the next county

What people in Grainger County, TN ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Grainger County, TN?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are these buildings open to the public?

Some are, many are not. Churches, courthouses and libraries usually keep regular hours. Houses, barns and mills are often private and best seen from the road. The record for each site tells you which kind it is.

What does it mean when a site is on the National Register?

It means the property was documented and accepted as historically significant. Listing honors the site, it does not open it to visitors or stop an owner from using it.

How a visit works in Grainger County

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Grainger County, TN the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Grainger County, TN are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.