Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 68

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But most patrons weren't so much
buying as bartering.
" Back then, it was more about trading
than purchasing items with cash, " Lisa
says, noting that live chickens might be
exchanged for a sack of flour or a gallon
of milk.
Meanwhile, feverish locals would travel
miles to see Dr. Henry Perry, who had
a ramshackle exam room out back. Hearteyed
mountain folk would also meander
to the store's post office, intent on sending
quixotic letters to far-flung beaus.
Needless to say, Mast General Store
was more like a kindhearted neighbor
than a provisions shop. And so, when
the store changed hands and closed its
doors in 1977, locals mourned. The Coopers
did too.
Reinstating History
John and Faye fell in love with Mast
General Store during a winter ski trip.
The couple presumably stopped to get
gas or maybe to grab a soda. No matter
the reason, they were instantly smitten
with the rambling clapboard building.
But when John and Faye returned
years later, they were disappointed to
find the place boarded up and abandoned.
" That
got my dad's wheels turning, "
says Lisa.
Seeing promise in its creaky hardwood
floors and drafty windows, the Coopers
purchased the store in 1979 and moved
to Valle Crucis the following spring.
The first few years were tough, says
Lisa. Since the shop opened at 7 a.m.
and closed at 8 p.m., the Coopers put in
long, grueling hours. Faye often bounced
68 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
In 1980, the Coopers
moved to a derelict
provisions shop in
Valle Crucis, North
Carolina, to begin
the Mast comeback.
Expansion soon
became a priority for
the Coopers.
John and Faye
Cooper could see the
store's potential.
between the cash register and the nowdefunct
deli, ringing up spools of ribbon
and goat milk soap only to turn around
and make a cheese sandwich.
Since the deli was the only restaurant
around, it boomed. An old menu on the
store's website lists laidback delicacies
like the peanut butter deluxe: a mess of
whole wheat bread, peanut butter and
honey for less than $3. Paired with a 30cent
cup of coffee, the hearty meal was a
crowd-pleaser.
The post office, which John and Faye
fought tooth and nail to reinstate, was
equally popular, notes Olivia King.
Though King now manages the Roanoke,
Virginia, location, she started her
Mast General Store career 15 years ago
at the flagship shop. She says that when
the Coopers reclaimed the post office, it
" gave an identity back to the area " and
made the shop a " true hub. "
Lisa agrees. " The post office brought
in the locals, " she recalls. " And that's
exactly what my parents wanted to do:
serve the locals. "
Coming to a Town Near You
The Coopers' desire to serve the locals is
why, in September of 1982, they opened
the Mast Store Annex.
At the time, construction crews were
replacing the bridge in front of Valle
Crucis Elementary School. Alas, Mast
General Store patrons were forced to roll
up their trousers and ford the creek or
take a circuitous detour. Hoping to save
folks the trouble, the Coopers expanded
to an old building less than a quarter
mile down the road.
Fittingly dubbed the Mast Store Annex,
the shop was wildly successful. So
much so that when a space became available
on West King Street in downtown
Boone six years later, John and Faye
jumped.
Referred to as the Old Boone Mercantile,
this outpost attracted even more
shoppers thanks to nearby Appalachian
State University.
" We gained amazing new exposure, "
says Lisa. " The store became an
institution. "
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Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023

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