The St. James General Store - Community Treasure Then and Now

Smithtown by the Sound

By Nancy Vallarella

The St. James General Store -Community Treasure Then and Now

The Saint James General Store has been a local gem since Ebenezer Smith built it in 1857.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is the oldest general store still open for business in the United States.  

There is much documented fact and folklore on the store’s history. Information on ownership, paranormal occurrences, famous past visitors, visits with Santa, and most recently, resolved funding concerns are found on-line and in print.

This article is an attempt to explore some of the less known tidbits of information that help make the St. James General Store one of the most endearing assets in the community today.

Presently, cell phone service is sporadic north of the St. James General Store.  I have a running joke about that…” Nissequogue is Indian for land of no cell phone towers.” Amazingly, I get responses ranging from chuckles to “Really?” 

It’s all good.  Nissequogue is too beautiful to be compromised with ugly technology but, phone service was a big deal at the St. James General Store in the late 19^th century.  It was the home to the hamlet’s first telephone.  Can you imagine being a clerk hearing one side of all of the conversations had in town?

World-renowned architect, Stanford White frequently used that phone.  One has to wonder if it was all for business or did it help facilitate trysts with then supermodel, Evelyn Nesbit.  Folklore has it that after hanging up the phone and leaving the store, Stanford was standing on the porch when the phone shattered having been struck by lightning. Foreboding? Indeed.

Known for his promiscuity, Stanford White moved on as did Miss Nesbit.  Nesbit eventually married Harry Thaw, a multi-millionaire with questionable acquaintances and mental faculty. 

On a lavish trip to Paris, Evelyn confessed her affair with Stanford White to Thaw.  Historians report that Thaw and White were long-standing rivals. Fate brought these two adversaries together at the theater of Madison Square Garden. Thaw shot Stanford White, killing him in the name of his wife’s virtue or maybe the lack of.  

Thaw was found not guilty on the grounds of insanity. He was however incarcerated in an institution for the criminally insane.  Thaw’s legal team maneuvered him free seven years later. The couple divorced in 1915.

On a much lighter note:

Did you ever wonder about the history of the St. James General Store’s giant stuffed bear? 

It’s a mystery.  The bear’s big presence has an unknown past.  St. James General Store Merchandise Manager, Karen Sheedy has been there for twenty years and states that the bear has been there before she came on board.

It is difficult to trace the origin of many of the displayed museum pieces due to the changes in ownership. However, there are several verified original items. Ledgers, old photographs, original counters and cases, the post office, coffee grinder, tea canisters, and pot belly stove are among the original items remaining. 

Why was the Indian statue moved inside the store?

The statue went missing twice while residing on the store’s porch. Luckily, it was found in the Smith Haven Mall parking lot and again in the nearby woods.  It now welcomes visitors as they enter the inside of the store, inconveniently unavailable to pranksters.

Can you guess what the number one selling item in the store is today?

The Molasses Pop!    

Special thank you to Brad Harris, Smithtown Historian, and Karen Sheedy, Merchandise Manager, St. James General Store. Your time, knowledge, and patience are appreciated.