Barbara Hood’s Country Store was a well-known establishment in West Grove, Chester County, Pa., originally situated on 184 acres. Barbara and her husband, Richard, today own 26 acres with the property. Barbara’s father-in-law, Charles Hood, bought the land in 1931. It had been an operating dairy. Barbara and Richard bought the dairy from Richard’s father in 1962. They donated part of the land, which is where the Jennersville Hospital is today.
The property consists of a farmhouse and a “sales barn” adjacent to a reproduction 18th-century log cabin. Material from the original barn was used to build the cabin. The shop (country store) was located in the 1795 smokehouse and housed country store goods and primitives. The business specialized in country home decor. “We strictly sold Americana,” said Barbara. “No imports.”
“We had the store for 35 years,” said Barbara. The couple retired three years ago and has decided to sell the contents of the store and list the property for sale.
Formally educated in interior design and art design, Barbara once taught art prior to turning her energy toward the country store full-time. “It was so fun to hunt for things,” recalled Barbara. “We once had quite a mailing list, and word of mouth seemed to be our best form of advertising.”
Country living and decor was in its heyday at the time of the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. Americana, or, more accurately, country, was king throughout the ’70s and ’80s, noteably in Pennsylvania. The Christmas season was an especially busy time for the Hoods, and their country store was a must-visit attraction in southern Chester County.
Pook & Pook Inc. of Downingtown, Pa., will hold a dedicated online-only sale on Monday, Oct. 10. This sale will include the contents of the country store. The real estate is listed through Sotheby’s International Realty.
Horst Auction Company in Ephrata, Pa., will have a sale on Wednesday, Sept. 28, of material from the Hoods. “In the Horst sale we will have some of our parents’ and grandparents’ furnishings,” said Hood.
To learn more, call Pook & Pook Inc. at 610-269-4040 or Horst Auctioneers at 717-738-3080.
Images courtesy of Anne Lusk, Lusk and Associates, Sotheby’s International Realty.