Construction of the building that is the Petersham Country Store began in 1839 when two brothers-in-law named Samson Wetherell and Benjamin Hamilton bought a small piece of land on the northeast corner of Main Street and East Street. The design of their building was consistent with several other Greek revival style buildings that were built around the town common at the same time. The store officially opened for business one year later, in September 1840. Although Wetherell and Hamilton failed as businessmen, the store they began has been in continuous operation, with very few interruptions, for more than one hundred and seventy-five years.
As the years passed, the storeowners adapted to the changing needs of the people they served. Improvements, such as the installation of a “fine new soda fountain” by E. L. Johnson in 1889, or the addition of self-service “go-carts” by Edward Hutchinson in 1944, helped the store maintain vitality. Although Buffalo Robes and Feather Mattresses are no longer available for sale as they once were in 1840, a wide range of products and services continues to support and satisfy the contemporary interests of the local Petersham community and the greater central Massachusetts region.
Many storeowners have come and gone, but remarkably, most of them were also beloved town residents who were committed to the idea that the store was more than just a business: they believed in the store as a central gathering place in the heart of the community. This welcoming tradition continues today.                                         - Christine Mandel,  June 2015

Cafe & Gallery

Chef-picked wines, hard ciders & microbrews

All-Natural grocery