See also History of Town
of Middlesex
When Sherwood Hamilton left his position in New York City with a commodities trading company, he decided to buy a small business. He read ads in The New York Times, and one in particular caught his eye. A country store in Middlesex, Vermont, was for sale. That was in 1981.
Today Sherwood, his daughter Diana and her husband Bob Fusco run this typical Vermont country store where you can purchase a wide variety of groceries. A unique feature of the Middlesex Country Store is its popular deli that came in 1991, just when selling gasoline went out.
"It's a fun kind of business; people are really great," says Sherwood. He adds that about 85 percent of their business is local, including people who work in the nearby state facilities or commute between Waterbury and Montpelier. His most famous "local" patron is U.S. Senator Pat Leahy, who makes his home in Middlesex.
The store has today's staple items: video rentals, Vermont Lottery and Megabucks. The store carries on the age-old tradition of hunting and fishing licenses and is a deer weighing station.
Looking back at his early days of running the store, Sherwood muses, "We used to carry clothing. I remember a hunting jacket priced at $15. It didn't sell - until I changed the price to $25." He adds that about 70 percent of the store's business is groceries and that most of the store's prices are actually competitive with the large supermarkets.
"The middle portion of the store is the oldest," says Sherwood, "about 150 years old. It was a stable at one time. Years ago, when it was a 'true country store,' says Sherwood, "it was two stories and carried items such as harnesses and feed."
"There will always be a spot for the country store," says Sherwood. Diana sums it up with a happy smile: "It's a way of life."
This is a condensed version of the article appearing in Central Vermont Magazine Winter 1993 issue. For information on where to locate these magazines contact the chamber at 229-5711.
Thanks are extended to Earline Marsh, Alan Noyes, Elizabeth
Ralph, Sally Finn and Jack Belding for their time selecting and
editing Central Vermont Magazine articles for publication on the
web.
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