In 1897 H.D. Webster, a pharmacist, built this 'wonderous' structure for a general store and pharmacy and also dealt in farm machinery in the outbuildings. Part of the orignial pharmacy window with etched glass and handsome woodwork, is preserved on the balcony, full of bygone remedies and artifacts.

In 1986 Jean and Gerry Bailey had a dream to transform the original Webster establishment into a contemporary country store. This vision required extensive planning and renovations in order to preserve the historical significance of the landmark East Burke building. Their dedication and hard work resulted in the successful Bailey's Country Store.

Now...

The narrow hardwood floorboards are dark with age and creak when you tread on them. An ancient potbelly woodstove is the centerpeice of the main room. Other rooms meander off to the side, up the stairs, in the back and around the mezzanine. The aromas of apples and pastries fill the air. There's a warmth about the place that makes you want to return in midwinter. As co-owner Jody Fried puts it, "It's like walking into a warm blanket."

Jody and his father-in-law Billy are more like buddies than in-laws. They ski together (at nearby Burke Mountain), golf together, and, in August 1999, decided to buy a defunct general store together. Jody was a constantly traveling executive for a pharmaceutical company, based far from home in Colorado and Florida. Billy was a machinist at local factories but was best known for his second job. For years, he ran a lunch wagon he named, "Talk of the Town." As Jody says, "Billy knew everybody and everybody knew Billy."

Well, those who didn't, know him now. The buddies bought the store in 1999. The property includes a daycare center, a restaurant and pub, eight residential apartments above the store, office workspace and a real estate agency. As if that weren't enough, Jody and Billy reopened the restaurant/pub, installed a commercial bakery, patched all the roofs, laid out two volleyball courts, built up a well-stocked wine cellar, opened a pizzeria, started a volleyball league and got seriously involved in helping make Burke Mountain ski area a success.

It you were to blindfold yourself in the middle of Bailey's & Burke and feel your way around until your hand encountered an item, you might be picking up Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Fetzer merlot, North River rhubarb wine, Trout River ale, Clorox, a plastic comber, freshly baked pumpkin pie, local apples, peanuts in the shell, regional crafts, a painting or print by artist Will Moses or a hot, aromatic slice of four-cheese pizza.

The items that most interest regular customers Karen McElroy and her 15-year-old daughter, Kaitlyn, are those that are edible. "I shop here every day," says Karen, who moved to East Burke from wester Massachusetts. "I love their breads, the pizza, coffee, cold cuts and cheeses." Kaitlyn, a nordic racer studing at Burke Mountain Academy, adds, " It's kind of homey - it picks you up. The people here are friendly and helpful. They know you and how to help you."