Olson's Bridgewater Corners Country Store
Paul & Wendy Olson
PO Box 375
Bridgewater Corners VT 05035
802-672-6241
Fax: 802-672-1779
Home page: http://www.bridgewatercornerstore.com/

---

A store was first built on this site in the mid-1840s. The first post office in Bridgewater was established in the store in the 1860s and was located here until just before World War II (1941). The store was burned to the ground in 1889 by burglars and was rebuilt on the original foundation and open again in the spring of 1890. It has served the community since that time as a local gathering place.

---

Ebenezer Clement came from Bridgewater Village to live in Bridgewater Corners in 1839 and kept a store here. He left Bridgewater Corners in 1853 and the store became Walker and Babcock. It was later known as Babcock & Wood, Wood & Mitchell, and Babcock & Mitchell.

Charles Babcock was the sole owner by 1872 and he became the first postmaster when a post office was established here in 1879. Volney Babcock succeeded his uncle as postmaster in 1880. The post office was located in the main section of the store until World War II when Mrs. Rogers became postmaster.

The Vermont Standard reported on September 19, 1889: "The store of C. & V. C. Babcock at the Corners was entered early Wednesday AM. The safe blown open, money and books taken and fire set ot the building. By 5:30 AM there was not a beam or sill left." By October 10 lumber was being sawed for Babcock's new store and on January 16, 1890, the Babcocks were back in business.

Volney Babcock sold the place to H. G. Vaughan in 1896 and it was Vaughan's store until 1945.

Royal Fraser had it until 1959 when it becamse Crockwell, Inc.

In 1964 it was the "Corner's Store" operated by P. Ellis and M. O'Neil and as the "Country Store" in 1972.

It was operated as the Junction Store in 1976 and the Junction Country Store until 1996 when it opened as the Bridgewater Corners Country Store under the ownership of Bob and Pat Hammond. It serves as a community-gathering place providing gasoline, video, groceries, deli and a variety of Vermont products and gifts. It is open seven days a week.

In July of 2009 the Bridgewater Corner Country Store changed ownership to Paul, Wendy, Holli & Stewart Olson. The store name is now known at the Olson's Bridgewater Corners Country Store. The Olson family has restored the store with the vision of a complete restoration and the return to a simpler time. The Olson's goal is to provide a place for the community to call their own.

---

---

VAICS Home