General Store Museum
Westminster, SC
General Store Museum
Housed in the Barrett-Jones building along historic Main Street in Westminster, the General Store Museum displays a vast collection of historic artifacts from the original England’s General Merchandise store.
The original general store building (2 blocks west on Main Street) was build in 1908, and England’s General Merchandise opened for business at that time.
For decades, the downtown general store carried everything its customers might ever need or want, including the “Fly” hovering lawnmower, Blue Horse notebook paper, saddle shoes, and much more!
For over 100 years the shopkeepers accumulated a collection of merchandise spanning the entire twentieth century. The last shopkeeper, William “Dub” England, ceased operations in the early 1980s, opening his collection as a museum until his passing in 2005.
Preserving England's Store
In 2007, a non-profit organization, the Westminster Area Historic Preservation Society (WAHPS), purchased the building’s historic contents. WAHPS then donated the entirety of the collection to the Oconee History Museum for the purpose of establishing a branch museum.
In 2008, the Barrett-Jones building was donated by Lee and Joyce Barrett to Oconee History Museum and renovations began. With the ongoing help of the Westminster Area Historic Preservation Society, the General Store Museum opened in 2011.
Museum FAQs
Admission
Free!
$3 per person donation is encouraged.
Hours
Thursday & Friday 11:00am-4:00pm
Saturday 11:00am-2:30pm
Call or contact us for a special appointment.
Parking
Ample free parking (including handicap) is available along Main Street and in the public parking across the street.
Parking for buses available in the public parking lot on Main Street.
Restrooms
A clean public restroom is available to guests.
Handicap Accessibility
General Store Museum facilities are handicap accessible.