Hidden Gems of CLT: Davis General Store

Charlotte, NC. — WCCB Charlotte’s Alexandra Elich visits Davis General Store on this week’s Hidden Gems of CLT.

Everything you need and a little of what you want. That’s what you’ll find inside Davis General Store.

Davis General store started in 1890 when owner Silas Davis’ Grandfather and Great Uncle were selling items out of their house about a mile down the road. In 1907, the general store off Old Statesville Road was built.

“I grew up right up the road here with my grandmother, mother, and daddy. So we come by here all the time,” says Davis.

Davis has a degree in civil engineering, working at duke power for a bit. After a stint in the military, Davis came home and was offered his job at Duke back.

“He said you’ve got an office right here come right here is that office you’ll be working in, and I looked in there and then office door, and I thought to myself do I want to sit in this office for the next 30 years, or do I want to get out and see people.”

So what do they have, you ask?

“We’ve evolved over the years, of course. But we have feed; we have garden seed, we have plants, we have clothes, we have shoes, we have the hardware.”

The list goes on. Stuff that is hard to find, and old-fashioned things. History is in every corner of the iconic store.

Davis says it’s the people that make working at the store all these years worthwhile.

“I get to see all these customers come in from all over the world.”