OWLS HEAD — The historic Owls Head General Store, the last remaining place to buy groceries or other convenience items in town, has closed.

“This wonderful experience would not have been possible without all of you. However, after serious thought and consideration, we are making the very difficult decision to close the business,” Sheree Craig, who owns the store with her husband, Rob Craig, said in a written statement.

“The General Store remains for sale, and our sincerest wish is that an enthusiastic buyer will come along soon to continue the journey and tradition that began so long ago. Please keep our amazing staff in your thoughts. They are like family to us, and were the heart of our business,” Sheree Craig said.

She said Wednesday that the decision was based on personal reasons. Craig also noted that it had become difficult to find enough employees to keep the store open longer hours in the summer, when businesses must make sufficient money to survive the winter months.

The store had two full-time employees and four to five part-time workers.

The Craigs bought the store in July 2012 from Tom and Martha Luttrell, who had operated it for a little more than four years.

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Craig said her intent at the time was to leave her insurance and financial career and run the store in this small coastal town southeast of Rockport in Knox County.

She said she had a change of heart, however, after the purchase.

The store has been for sale for three years but there has been no serious interest, Craig said. The asking price is $274,900.

The 1,058-square-foot building was built in 1880 and has been a general store since at least the 1920s. The store is located next to the post office and is within walking distance of Owls Head Harbor and Lighthouse Road leading to the Owls Head Lighthouse.

“Even though it was a little place, it was a gathering place,” said Linda Christie, who was raised in the Owls Head village where the store is located. “It was a big part of growing up.”

She said everyone would use the store as the place to talk about community happenings.

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“You could get groceries or No. 2 pencils or crayons. They packed a lot into the store,” Christie recalled.

The general store was also the go-to place for summer visitors.

The store had gasoline pumps until about the 1970s.

In more recent decades, the residence that had been part of the building was converted to more store space. There was a kitchen where menu items were offered.


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