Alderson’s Store

Vintage hats and necklaces, glassware, local handmade crafts, trains, clocks, books, and more pack the shelves at Alderson’s, one of the oldest stores in West Virginia. Established in 1887 as J.M. Alderson General Merchandise, the shop was the go-to for sundries and other necessities of the time. 

Sarah Alderson, the present-day proprietor, is a direct descendant of Elder John Alderson, who founded the town itself in 1777. In 1930, the store burned down and was eventually rebuilt in its current location. 

The store that still stands today was designed by Walter F. Martens, also responsible for the West Virginia governor’s mansion in Charleston, and the shop’s architecture, with intricate woodwork detail and checkerboard floor, is celebrated by historians as a stunning example of Art Deco style.

Visitors are invited to stroll the store as a reminder of what shopping was like over a century ago.