The General Store

The general store was built in the town of Annapolis in Parke County, Indiana estimated between 1850 and 1860. It was the center of a thriving Quaker community. The town of Annapolis started to decline after Baltimore and Ohio Railroad chose to go half a mile south through Bloomingdale, IN. In later years the store itself was also moved to Bloomingdale and served several owners before being moved to the Village in 1968.

Through all of its owners and moves, the store has remained in its original “condition.” A special note about the doors in general, instead of replacing broken locks, new ones were just added. The inside furnishing, for the most part, are not original but are of the 19^th century era.

The 33 foot by 45 foot building rests on ten inch by ten inch hand-hewn poplar sills which are carried by the masonry piers in the earth. The front has a remarkably large glass area. The interior columns are of architectural interest which are also necessary for such a large open floor space. The structure is transitional, lying between the early heavy timber frame and the light wood frame of later times. Interior walls and ceilings are paneled with one-inch poplar boards. A large upstairs room provided office space, storage, and living quarters.

Today, the store remains the “center” of our village at Billie Creek.