We knew that Grey's had closed, but were pleasantly surprised to find that the store has been reopened as an Antique and Collectibles Store. We were on our way to Little Compton when we saw the open store and had to go in. It is certainly worth a stop for its historical value. And who knows, you might find some interesting treasures!

Opening in 1788, Gray's General Store in Adamsville, RI, was the oldest, after 224 years and by all credible accounts, general store in the United States. George Washington wasn't yet president, and the flag had just 13 stars. One family, presumably named Gray, owned it for 91 years until another family, the Waites, took it on and held until 2012, when sixth generation Grayton Waite died and his heir, a son, closed it. This was a sad and humbling moment for minuscule Adamsville, an appendage of Little Compton, RI, no metropolis itself with just 3,500 people. The closing of Gray's left Adamsville with only one monument, a granite statue of a chicken, the Rhode Island Red, the source of all kitchen tables of the brown egg and Little Compton' claim, back then, as the poultry Capitol of the World. Now, happily, Adamsville has reclaimed its status as site of the nation's oldest general store, if not the oldest in continuous service. Reopened three years ago, its tenant storekeeper's merchandise is as varied as a Walmart's, although it will take a while to catch up in traffic. Just one car and a pickup fit in the parking lot. Also, nothing in the store is new, though little is bona fide antique either. It is stacked with domestic jetsam and flotsam, including a mirrored pine medicine cabinet for $25, jewelry, nearly all costume, stacks of China, books and magazines. Yvonne found a pair of sterling earrings for $25.60 and I bought Joseph Alsop's biography of Franklin Roosevelt for $2.40. For $1, I also picked up four-ounce block labeled Great Face Soap. Gray's is a five-star trip. In few other places can a nonagenarian comepon poke trinkets, trifles and detritus and some of it older than he.

Our visit was impromptu and completely happenstance, but what a local gem! If I won the lottery tomorrow I'd love to put the money into restoring this place to its former glory. It certainly is quite a bit beyond its heyday, but is absolutely worth a visit. A peek into the post office area will provide you a glimpse of how things used to be, including antiquated letters and mailboxes with locals' last names still hand written in ink. The shop no longer seems to offer typical general store treats but rather local antiques/odds and ends. Please do yourself a favor, stop into this shop and enjoy a slice of history. ( Would love if in the future they offered tours!)

Had to go to see the store which was the oldest in the USA until the relatively recent death of the last owner. Also a very old post office in the same building. I can't imagine that a proper restoration will ever happen in such a quiet backwater, but I hope I'm wrong Please note that it closes for the winter on 12 October. Don't know when it opens for next season

Gray's Store is a pretty ancient location in the vicinity of Little Compton RI and nearby hamlets. Its offerings are plain, simple and useful in a pinch.