Butner-McTyre General Store

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Built around 1879 and named after two of its owners, the historic Butner-McTyre General Store is located in the heart of downtown Powder Springs and also along the city's main street. It is one of a few remaining examples of general stores in Georgia, but is even rarer in the fact that it is a wood-frame building. It is also known as one of the oldest general stores in the state. The features of the store are well preserved such as its intact storefront, the interior open space, office, wooden walls, floors, and ceilings. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

Images

The store was built c.1879 and has been an important landmark in Power Springs ever since.

Coca-Cola painting on the right side of the side

Double Irish Chain. Main section of the right side of the house.

Description of the Double Irish Chain

The middle section of the right side of the house

The rear section of the right side of the house

The very back side of the house

The rear section of the left side of the house

The middle section of the left side of the house

The main section of the left side of the house

The Star of Bethlehem. Main section of the left side of the house

Description of Star of Bethlehem

Backstory and Context

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Unfortunately, fires destroyed several deeds dating to 1879 so the exact date of the store's construction is unknown and the sequence of ownership and usage is not as clear as it could be. The building was also divided and owned by different people in a number of occasions. But what is known is that the land on which the store stands was owned by man named Archibald Miller, who received a land grant in the Georgia lottery in 1835.

It appears that in the the building was initially owned by a man named W.H. Goodwin, who was also listed as a Justice of the Peace. The main portion of the building was purchased and owned by John C. Butner in 1879. The store was named "John C. Butner and Sons General Store" and operated as a general store. Goodwin appears to have leased a smaller portion of the building to Francis C. House, who was listed as a contractor. In 1882, the oldest part of the store is the rear area of the store that became a Blacksmith shop and named "House and Holcomb."

In 1935, the store went into bankruptcy and C.M. McTyre and J.B. McTyre purchased it from brothers John and W.E. Butner brothers. J.B. McTyre ran the store until the death of C.M. McTyre in 1968. After that, the store was purchased by Willis W. and Dorothy M. Decker. After a series of owners, the store was sold again in 1998 to Hilderbrand and Reese who named it "Country Store of Seven Springs" and operated it as an antiques and gift shop. There is a large Coca-Cola painting on the side of the building that Hilderbrand and Reese ask the Coca-Cola Company to repaint for an advertisement. Hilderbrand and Reese retired on July 31st, 2012. Today, the building is home to a home good stored called Rooted Trading.

Sources

Brock, Gretchen. "Butner-McTyre General Store." National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. February 1, 2006. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/1f283c9c-9eb6-48a3-86e4-233652d1fd35.

Hull, Todd. "Store located in historic building to close doors for good on July 31." The Marietta Daily Journal. July 16, 2012. https://www.mdjonline.com/news/store-located-in-historic-building-to-close-doors-for-good/article_bf27a86b-0551-5088-9047-df2488014023.html.