Mast General Store, Columbia, South Carolina

“All general stores are satisfying to visit, but one of them, the Mast Store, is a destination.”

Charles Kuralt

Walking around Main Street in downtown Columbia, South Carolina, Joe and I came across this general store with a large sign on the side and front of the building saying “Mast General Store 1883”. Joe and I love to explore general stores so we excitedly went inside. The first thing I noticed coming in was the old hardwood floor squeaked as we walked around. That made me realize how old this building was and that it had a lot of character. 

We came in through the back alley of the store from the parking garage. As soon as we walked in, we saw there was a checker board set up to play on top of a barrel adorned by two rocking chairs. Then when we looked the other way there were barrels of candy four barrels deep down a good length of the store. The barrels had red and white checkered fabric lining them and it looked so old timey. Hanging on the walls nearby are unique country games and gifts. 

There was so much to look at as we walked through the apparel section to the stairs leading down. We went downstairs and found outside apparel, camping gear, footwear, and lots of hiking gear. This is a great store that you can spend a lot of time just looking. We were so glad we saw this store and went inside. 

When Major General Tecumseh Sherman passed through Colombia on the March to the Sea in 1865, he left two-thirds of the city burnt down including the whole block of buildings where this store is now located. During the Reconstruction Era in the 1870’s, this building was rebuilt adding a second and a third floor. The store is on the first floor and basement level while the second and third floor have loft apartments. This building has been home to many things in the past from an undertakers parlor, a bar, to a retail store called Efirds and Louries that had been in business for 96 years and closed in 2008.

Mast General Store opened up at this location on May 25, 2011 and was later renovated in 2012 bringing back the 1920’s character and charm of this store with the hardwood floors and pressed tin ceilings. This store has 43,000 square feet large and is choke full of unique and fun items. They carry brand name apparel such as North Face and Columbia, loads of outdoor gear, foods, candies, games, and many other unique items. 

They have barrels and barrels of candy, cast iron pots and pans, jams, jellies, grits, corn meal, footwear, outdoor and travel items, and many other fun old-timey items. There is much to see I could go on and on but instead, just go and visit a Mast General Store. They are really fun to visit. There are now ten stores that are opened throughout North and South Carolina and Tennessee.

The very first store was opened in 1883 in Valle Crucis, North Carolina by Henry Taylor. W. W. Mast bought half of the business in 1897 and was then called Taylor and Mast General Store. In 1913, Mast purchased the other half of the business and renamed the store, Mast General Store. The store stayed in the family for three generations. In 1973 it was sold to a Doctor from Atlanta and a professor from Appalachian State University. The business closed in 1977, then reopened in 1980 after being bought by John and Fay Cooper. In 1996 the business became an employee owned company. 

The Columbia store is the ninth general store that was opened. Other stores are located in Valle Crucis, Boone, Waynesville, Hendersonville, Asheville, Winston-Salem, NC, and Knoxville, Tennessee, and Greenville, South Carolina. 

This store is located at 1601 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina. - Phone - 803-771-2300. The store is open, Monday - Wednesday 10 am - 6 pm, Thursday - Friday 10 am 8 pm, Saturday 9 am - 8 pm, and Sunday noon - 6 pm. 

They have great prices and great items. Go check them out: www.maststore.com. Till next time. Bye for now.