The Old Country Store was the first store built in the town in 1833. The store is shown here in 1910, when it was owned and operated by the Eaby family.
The Old Country Store was the first store built in the town in 1833. The store is shown here in 1910, when it was owned and operated by the Eaby family.
The Old Country Store is the oldest store in the village of Intercourse, built in 1833 by Jacob Wenger. One year later, Moses Eaby took over the store, and eventually his son Jason joined him in the business. A fire in the fall of 1881 destroyed the store, but it was quickly rebuilt, this time in brick. In 1913 Jason died, and his wife, Amanda Zook Eaby, took over the store.
The Worst family purchased the store in 1931. It is shown here in the 1950s.
Amanda passed the store responsibilities on to Ralph S. Worst in 1926 and eventually sold the business to him in 1931. Worst started a blacksmith shop behind the store. In addition, he opened the building east of the store, where he sold hardware and farming supplies. An elevator in the building was used to lift grains and hardware from the basement and is still preserved today.
Through the years, the store has had a variety of occupants, including an antique business and a quilt shop. In 1984, the property was acquired by Merle and Phyllis Good. They developed The Old Country Store and oversaw the creation of the People’s Place Quilt Museum, exhibiting on the second floor from 1986 until 2013 when the Goods closed the store.
The Old Country Store is a destination you cannot miss. We’re located in the village of Intercourse, in the heart of Amish Country in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
In 2014, Dean and Jan Mast and their partners reopened the store, continuing the rich tradition of offering fabric, locally created crafts and quilts, quilting supplies, and food.