VALLE CRUCIS, NC – Many things can change over the course of 140 years, but the Mast General Store remains committed to its customers and service to its community. These traditions were established by Henry Taylor, W.W. Mast, and more recently, John and Faye Cooper, Lisa Cooper, and its many employees and employee-owners. On Tuesday, June 6, the date that the Coopers re-opened the store in 1980, the Original Mast Store in Valle Crucis will celebrate 140 years in the community.
“I’m sure my parents never dreamed that the Mast Store would grow to what it is now,” commented Lisa Cooper, Mast Store’s president. “Their first concern in those early days was to get the doors open and to keep them open while reconnecting the store with the local community.”
With hard work, creativity, and involvement, the store has grown to include 11 locations in 10 communities in four states.
To celebrate the store’s anniversary, guests can enjoy free popcorn throughout the day on June 6 and join a special tour of the Original Mast Store led by Lisa Cooper, who spent four years living in the store when her parents re-opened the historic location in the 1980s. Tours are limited to 15 people and are scheduled at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The Mast Store is honored to be the center of the Valle Crucis community where locals can drop in to pick up their mail at the post office and shop for gifts, gear, and country gourmet foods alongside visitors from far and wide.
Mast Store’s other locations are also in historic buildings that were constructed between the 1870s to the 1930s. Each one has its own interesting story to tell and a deep connection with its hometown. The Original Mast Store in Valle Crucis remains the heart of the organization and the inspiration for all other stores.
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