The Heartbeat of the Hollow: A Stop at The Elmore Store

Friends, we talk a lot about “community” these days. It’s a word that gets thrown around by city planners and developers until it loses a bit of its shine. But if you want to know what that word actually tastes like—if you want to see what it looks like when neighbors decide that a building is worth more than the wood and nails holding it together—you need to take a drive up to Lamoille County, Vermont.

You need to go to Elmore.

Now, Elmore calls itself “The Beauty Spot of Vermont,” and looking out across the shimmering water of Lake Elmore toward the fire tower on the mountain, you’d be hard-pressed to argue. But the real beauty isn’t just the landscape. It’s the white clapboard building sitting right there on Route 12: The Elmore Store.

More Than Just Groceries

In many towns, the general store is a relic—a place to buy a tourist trinket and a overpriced soda. In Elmore, it is the living, breathing heart of the town. There is no other grocery store. There is no other gas station. For a long time, there was no other place to catch up on the news unless you stood in the middle of the road.

This building has been standing here since the early 1800s. It has seen horse-drawn carriages, Model Ts, and Subarus. For 36 years, it was stewarded by Warren and Kathy Miller, who were as much a part of the landscape as the mountain itself. When they decided to sell a few years back, there was a real fear that the lights might go out for good.

But this is Vermont. Folks here don’t just let things go.

Saved by the Neighbors

Instead of letting an outside developer turn it into condos or a private residence, the town rallied. They formed the Elmore Community Trust, bought the building, and saved it. Think about that for a second—neighbors chipping in to buy the store so they would still have a place to see each other.

Today, it’s run by Tim and Becca Lindenmeyr. Tim actually grew up right here, getting dropped off at this very store after school. Now, he’s the one pouring the coffee.

The New “Old” Store

They’ve just finished a massive renovation, stripping the old girl down to her studs to keep her standing for another century. In the process, they found old whiskey bottles and receipts from 1899 hidden in the walls—little time capsules from shopkeepers past.

But don’t worry, they didn’t polish away the soul.

• The Food: You can grab a “Fire Tower Pizza” made with dough from Elmore Mountain Bread (milled right in town) and topped with local veggies. It’s the kind of meal that sticks to your ribs after a hike up to the fire tower.
• The Vibe: The Post Office is still inside. That’s the rhythm of the town. You come in for your mail, you stay for the gossip, and you leave with a gallon of milk and maybe a maple creemee if the season’s right.
• The View: They’ve opened up the back to look out over the lake. There is no better place in the world to sit with a coffee and watch the fog lift off the water.

Why You Should Go

If you are anywhere near Stowe or Morrisville, do yourself a favor. Skip the chain restaurants. Drive the winding road to Elmore. Walk up the creaky steps, order a “Vermonter” sandwich, and just listen.

You’ll hear the screen door slam. You’ll hear “How’s your mother doing?” You’ll hear the sound of a town that decided its heart was worth saving.

The Elmore Store 1208 VT-12, Lake Elmore, VT (And tell ’em the folks at Appalachian Mountain Dreams sent you.)

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Like a lot of the Vermont Mountain Dreams we report on here, this is another story we discovered from our subscription to “Stuck in Vermont” by Seven Days, Vermont’s alternative newsweekly. Eva Sollberger has been taking us all over Vermont now for years and years, introducing us to the state through her eyes. Here is the video that led to this story…

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