Uncovering the Past at the Richloam General Store
On the eastern edge of Florida’s Adventure Coast, Brooksville-Weeki Wachee sits the tiny town of Richloam, population 12. There, tucked within the forest just a half mile from a busy highway sits the Richloam General Store – a true piece of American History that has endured since the early 20th century.
This quaint building served as the post office, general store, and social hub for the community of Richloam. Founded and built by Sidney Brinson, the site began as a turpentine camp but was converted into farmland during the 1920s Florida land boom. The current building, constructed in 1928 after a previous fire destroyed the original building, was the short-lived settlement’s only general store and post office. Today it provides a tangible connection to the past.
In 2016, Brinson’s nephew, and now current owner, Eric Burkes, decided to renovate the store, using as much of the original building materials as possible, including original sheet metal for the walls, various signs, and some of the bricks.
Visitors have the opportunity to step back in time, exploring vintage merchandise and learning about the past – you can even find old notes of yesteryear scrawled on the walls, documenting how old residents used the store as a social and communications hub.
From the moment you walk through the front door, you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. The front porch has several rocking chairs where you can sit and enjoy the peace and quiet of the surrounding forest, enjoy an ice-cream cone, or even a homemade root beer, sweetened with Richloam honey.
Of course, you can’t visit a general store without looking at the many items on the shelves themselves. The Richloam General Store stays true to the time period and offers goods you would have seen in the 20s and 30s; items you won’t necessarily see in today’s grocery stores. Old-fashioned bottled sodas, jams and jellies, sauces, local honey, salt-cured meat, and jars of “penny candy” all offer up a taste of life in older times.
“Remembering Old Florida” – A New Living History Experience Coming Soon
The Richloam General Store is about to embark on an exciting new chapter, as the family owners prepare to build a living history museum that will shine a light on the store’s rich history and the entire community of Richloam, with a slogan titled “Remembering Old Florida.”
Based on a photo of the property from the 1930s, Eric Burkes plans to restore multiple buildings that were once on the site, including a train depot, a cucumber packing house, a smokehouse, an icehouse, and a kitchen with a wood stove, where home-cooked meals will be made and served to visitors. The goal is to rebuild the entire community of Richloam, offering an experience of what life was like in “old Florida.”
So, the next time you find yourself want to slow down and enjoy a look at the past, be sure to visit the Richloam General Store and discover the fascinating history that lies within!
