The Etna General Store, circa 1900, prior to Walter H. Trumbull buying the property in 1914.

Prior to the new found mobility provided rural Americans by the invention and mass production of the automobile in the early years of the twentieth century, almost every new England village and cross-road hamlet could boast of at least one general store.

In addition to being the primary source of necessary household goods and provisions, these establishments were, more often than not, the local forum for news, political discussion, gatherings, postal service, and sometimes, even town meetings. Such was the case of the general store that existed in Etna for many years.

Ashel Packard constructed a general store with a large second-floor meeting hall in 1833 with the help of contributions made by various residents of the Etna and Hanover Center area. The condition was that local folks would have free use of the hall for all gatherings to which a paid admission would typically be charged. At that time, the Village area was still referred to as either “Mill Neighborhood” or “Mill Village” – the name “Etna” not appearing until 1884.

The upstairs hall continued to be used for numerous social and civic functions, including Hanover’s Annual Town Meeting

From Mr. Packard, the property was purchased by Horace and Walter Buck, who erected an addition on each side of the building, and briefly operated a hotel as well as their ongoing general store business – the only hotel that the Village ever had. Also, about this time, the Universalists used the meeting hall for their Sunday meetings; and beginning in March 1844, the Town of Hanover started holding the annual Town Meeting there until the building burned down many years later.

The property continued to have a variety of owners and storekeepers thru the years. One of the longer lasting was Charles W. Hayes. Mr. Hayes was descended from some of Hanover’s earliest settlers, and during his many years tending Etna’s primary general store, he also served as the Village librarian. After more than thirty years behind the counter of his general store, Charles Hayes retired. He sold the property to an enterprising local twenty-five year old named Walter Harrison Trumbull, and to Mr. Trumbull’s younger brother, Myron.

Harrison Trumbull, Walter and Myron’s father, moved to Etna Village from Canaan when Walter was only several months old. At age twenty, Walter became a self-employed carpenter and in 1917 founded the general contracting company that would become, in time, Trumbull-Nelson Construction Company, Inc. However, from 1914 thru 1918 “Harry”, or “Trump”, as his employees affectionately knew him, owned and operated the Etna General Store, along with his brother, Myron.

The upstairs hall continued to be used for numerous social and civic functions, including Hanover’s Annual Town Meeting. Local Village residents took great delight in having folks from “The Village at the College” have to make the trek out to Etna Village for the important once-a-year meeting. Mr. Trumbull’s wife would make and sell donuts for these and other events, like dances. Apparently, the hall was known for having a good dance floor.

Walter and his brother continued to build up the business to include all manner of hardware and feed, and even added a gas pump to service the areas growing population of Model T Fords. It truly was a ‘full service general store’. And in 1917, improvements were made to the second floor hall area to provide better ventilation and indoor plumbing.
By 1918 Walter’s rapidly growing construction company was demanding more of his time; as a result, he sold the store and property to Mr. R.E. Barrows. Sadly, on April 3, 1922, the building completely burned, taking fire from a defective furnace located in the basement. Not only was the store, a Village landmark, lost, but also consumed in the blaze was Mr. Barrow’s house – a beautiful brick Greek Revival style home located immediately north of the store. The wood-framed house located immediately south of the store was heavily scorched by the fire. Luckily, as it was the home and office of Hanover’s long serving Town Clerk, George M. Bridgman, it was saved.

The Store building was never rebuilt. Mr. Barrows reopened his general store in a mill building located diagonally across the road that had been the home of the Derby Manufacturing Company, makers of the patented “Etna Extension Ladder”. However, in 1929 this building also burned, and by then Mr. Barrows had had enough.

Today, not a trace remains of the engaging building that for eighty-nine years was the hub of the local community. Mr. Barrows rebuilt his home upon the foundations of his destroyed brick house and Town Clerk George Bridgman repaired the damaged side of his home and office, now residence of Matthew and Elizabeth Marshall at 104 Etna Road. And, a strong evergreen tree grows tall upon the long ago site of the Etna General Store.

Frank J. Barrett, Jr. is a principal in the firm of Church & Barrett Architects located in White River Junction, Vermont.His historical writings have appeared in numerous books and publications over the years.