Vermont's Dorset Union Store Celebrates 200 Years
DORSET, Vt. — It's not many establishments that can boost two centuries of operations. But the Dorset Union Store is one.
It was established in 1816, a mere 25 years after Congress admitted the state of Vermont into the Union. Today, it remains one of the oldest country stores in the Green Mountain State and has been continuously serving its community for 200 years.
The business on the green in Dorset has had a number of different names and owners, with "Dorset Union" cropping up time and again.
It appears to have begun has a co-op in a building believed to have been moved from East Rupert. In 1839, the store was bought by Moore Holley & Co. and subsequently took on several identities including S.F. Holley & Co. and Holley & Gray Co. According to documents found in the store attic, in 1845 it was known as Underhill & Gray, then Clark Gray in 1847.
In 1851, the store name became the Dorset Union Store once again until Perry Peltier and Kimball Tifft entered into a partnership in 1926 and named the business Peltier & Tifft general store. The relationship lasted until 1955 when Kimball sold his interest to Perry and the store then operated under the venerable name of Peltier's for more than 50 years. The last 27 years of that era, the store was in the capable hands of Jay and Terri Hathaway, who raised their family in the living quarters above the store.
The store is open daily and offers coffee, baked goods, a full-service deli, Vermont products like maple syrup, cheese and jam, wines and other food and gift items.
Fast forward to July 2007, when Cindy Loudenslager and Gretchen Schmidt purchased the store and returned it to its original name — The Dorset Union Store.
In honor of its 200th anniversary store located at 31 Church St. will be hosting a celebration that lasts for the entire year with gifts and special offerings for customers.
For more information: 802-867-4400 or www.dorsetunionstore.com.
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