Newsom’s Old Mill Store has long been a household word for many miles around our small town Princeton, Ky., with the heritage of the business dating to 1917. The home of Princeton’s first “general store,” Newsom’s serviced the public with every thing from goldfish to onion plants and seed for the spring growing season. H.C. Newsom, founder of the popular establishment offered place settings of china for a certain amount in purchase many years before it was thought out by modern day food market chains. The picture on the front of this fine quality notecard depicts the very last “country store” — the last functional country store of its kind within the USA. Still purchasing garden fresh vegetables from local gardeners and selling Newsom’s Aged Country Ham, cured as in the days of old, the store maintains the quality of service much sought after today. The historic building was built in 1850 during the Industrial Revolution and utilized as a woolen mill using sheep’s wool from the area to make the woolen “jeans” material that was made into Civil War uniforms. Later the building became a milling operation for the production of 100 barrels of flour a day with a 24-hour daily production schedule. It also housed a local “Purina Mills” operation providing crushed grain for the area. The construction of the building was painstaking in itself. The towering three-story building has exterior masonry walls, estimated at 13-15 inches thick. The walls surround a maze of rough, hand-sawn, solid oak. Long beams constructed from huge trees support each floor in beam fashion. The attached Old Glove Tavern was built in 1834 and was a stagecoach stop, on a 90-mile route, operating three times a week. It was also the site for the posting of a single-sheeted newspaper…the only posting in town. Upstairs in the Tavern building were sleeping quarters to house weary travelers who wished to rest or enjoy the tavern below for the evening. The original site for the three-generation family business is located to the town side of the tavern building and was the site of H.C. Newsom Store. Established in 1917, the family business began its long journey through survival of many evolutionary changes in the business world. In 1987, the business was moved from its old location after a devastating fire, and resumed the famed Newsom’s Ham business and Newsom’s Old Mill Store. About the Artist: Ms. Anita Baker is the news editor for the local Times Leader. She is a supporter and design artist for Newsom’s Old Mill Store. She has been affiliated with the business since 1987. Her work is seen in our uniquely designed literature and in the construction and development of our website. Baker has been honored by her trade, winning awards from the press association for photography, graphic design, writing/reporting and community service. Each box contains ten cards and baronial size envelopes. |