The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-11-14
A FORGOTTEN STORE AT
BENNINGTON ON THE HILL
Was Place OF Merchandise For Near
~ q Hundred Ycars--Ncw Part
Of Mr.. Welllnuton,a Hnnse

OF Mr.. Wel|lngtor's House
In tho various articles appearing
fro mtme to time, in the Banner the
: Troy Times and other papers about
old-time general stores OIL the hin. one
seems 10 have been overlooked or at
least has seldom been mentioned.
The building stood in the rear of
he house now owned By Hon. Geo. B.
wellington. and is now part of his
home The house and store were.
/ built, | believe, by Dr. VI. J. Lyman.
father OF the late Deacon George l.y
man. Drugs as we'll as general mer
chandise were carried in stock. In
/ 1911 Dr. Lyman sol the store to Asa
Hyde, whose daughter later married
Benjamin. Fay
7 n~1S19 MI Hyde sold the house
/ and store to SaXton T. Pickett who
with his wife and two young sons. has
come from Connecticut 70 live in Ben.
nineton
Mr. Pickett died in 1923, and his
widow later married W. S. Wander
cook of Raymertown. ~ Y. and oc.
cupied the house until her death in
1885 Later Mrs Ann d. Frost, with
/ her step-son and daughter lived in the
house for many years Mrs Frost
died in 1883, and the Vandercook fam
lily finally sold the property to Mr
Wellington
The store, after the death OF Mr.
Pickett in 1923, was sold to Genera
Henry Robinson.
Benjamin Fay was born in 1905. en-
tered the store as clerk for Genera
Robinson in 1928, continuing in his
employ until 1891. In that year he
married Miss Hyde and purchased the
store from General Robinson enter
ing into partnership with Major 5 II
Brown
In 1886 Mr. Fay purchased Major
/ Browns interest in the store, ana
later entered into partnership with
HAL Parsons. Finally Mr. Fay SOLD
his interest to Mr.. Parsons. who in
turn sold the store to the late Judge
Alfred Robinson. After a time Mr.
Robinson moved the business to the
lower part of the village. and the ole
store ceased to exist
How wen remember as child
the old building which Mrs. Frost
used as a barn over the upper dooi
iutted beam, to which was attached
a pulley, which in years gone by was
used to draw up barrels OF flour anG
also liquid refreshment which We
must not mention in these prohibition
days The small boys of the vicinity
used to play store to their hearts con
tent. as that gracious and kindly wo
man. Mrs Frost, could never say no
to child's appeal.
Mr.. Fay after selling the old store
engaged in the lumber business, lr
lSl7. he went To The East mountain
/ opposite Salisbury Cen and es
tabishcd a saImiil founding the set
/ Element known as "Fayyille" ~ saws
were operated by two gangs OF men
cf 20 each Two large saws were
placed outside The mills were burned
! in 1856, and rebuilt in 1858.
/ Mr. Fay furnished lumber for the
Wood moving machine 20 In 1858
an order for $1,000 was paced and
wanted at once! The horse which
drew the logs was hurt, so Mr. FAY
used his own horse, and as no one
/ else could manage it, lie drove it him
self, Suddenly the log jumped and
struck his ankle, breaking it badly
He was carried home. but in spite OF
the best medical care he only lived
one week SO passed young in years
4 a splendid business man Some day
perhaps the lumber business a Fay
INile Will boom aSain. and then tho
aum o. life viii peryade he noun
tains
AS ] write these words the picture
Of the old store is before me, and
hink OF the many business genuise.
who came up in the old village
Nearly all have passed on to the life
beyond, and it seem remarkable
coincidence that Mr. Fays daughter
Mrs. Margaret Brown, still lives op
posite the site where. her grand
father her father, and her husbands.
father for many years were engaged
in business.
p