History of The General Store
The General Store started life in Eastbourne in 1896 as a shop and post office owned by Henry Savage. It served as a shop and telegraph and / or post office for a number of years before becoming a dairy, a gallery and finally a house. In 1998 a fire broke out in the rear of the building and all but the front section was lost.
The surviving shop front was moved to Martinborough, where it sat in a field for two years before being renovated into the existing two bedroom cottage.
The surviving shop front was moved to Martinborough, where it sat in a field for two years before being renovated into the existing two bedroom cottage.
Eastbourne 1902. View from Muritai Park looking South. Savage's store appears in the left middle section of the photograph opposite the cabbage trees,
set back a little from the edge of Muritai Road
Detail of the 1902 photo. Savage's store is at 276 Muritai Road. The track going to the right from the house in the foreground became Ngaio Street.
This picture is dated 1911- 12 . However, Model T Ford enthusiasts say the vehicle is from 1915 or 1916 .
The shop now fronts the edge of the road. A new section was built on the front of the original shop between 1902 and 1911 and is the part of the building that survived the fire in 1998. The shop features in Katherine Mansfield's 1921 short story "At the Bay."
Mr Leah senior is in the cart, Mr and Mrs Leah and their daughter are the occupants of the Model T Ford.
Mr Leah senior is in the cart, Mr and Mrs Leah and their daughter are the occupants of the Model T Ford.
1923 Panorama taken from Muritai Park. The General Store and the house on the corner of Ngaio Street can just be seen in the central foreground.
1923 Detail from the panorama.
St Alban's church, built in 1910, appears at the end of Ngaio Street. The shop is still called Muritai Park Store and still functions as a telegraph office.
April 1983. The building is now being used as a Gallery and Workshop.
The original post office building can be seen behind the shop front.
The original post office building can be seen behind the shop front.
July 2000. The shop front is loaded onto a transporter for its trip to Martinborough.