The store

Stan asked his son, Kyle Goldsmith, to run the store which has been a dream of Kyle’s since he was a child living in Leesville, and of course was a frequent to his grandaddy’s and uncle’s store throughout his entire life. Kyle will be running the store and will oversee day-to-day operations. Kyle’s oldest son, Josiah Goldsmith, will help in running the store as well, keeping the store in the Carter family line.

Carter’s Store was originally funded by Kyle Goldsmith’s Great-great-grandfather, Berry Lafayette Carter of Bedford County and since then has been passed down throughout the Carter family. Berry Lafayette’s son, “Great-granddaddy” Lewis Crawford (L.C.) Carter built the store in 1879 and ran it until 1916 until his son, “Granddaddy” C.L. Carter took it over and ran it until 1960. Calvin Carter, Kyle Goldsmith’s uncle, acquired the store in 1960 and ran it up until his passing in 2008. After his passing, Calvin Carter left the store to his son Lee Carter to keep it in the Carter family, but soon after it was closed down, until now!

The store is coming alive again after a short intermission in its history and as of June 30th, 2019, Stan Goldsmith, who married Calvin’s sister Helen Carter Goldsmith, has purchased the store back and once again it is owned and will be run by a descendant of Lewis Crawford Carter, the man who first established the store.

The late Stan Goldsmith wanted to purchase back Carter’s Store in honor of his late wife, Helen Carter--whose brother ran the store for over 40 years-and to carry on the legacy of Carter’s Store in the community. In addition, Stanley, former Altavista Town Manager and former member of the Campbell County Board of Supervisors, wanted to help serve the local community with the convenience of goods while also keeping the feel of Carter’s Store the same. Since the time of its opening in 1879, Carter’s Store has been a staple in Leesville by offering general goods for the community, by being in a location easily accessible on route 43 and closer to many residents who have to travel far to the nearest grocery store, and of course, it’s bologna sandwiches. Carter’s Store has been beloved by all members of the community and all the folk who pass by. Stan’s wish is to stimulate economic growth around Leesville and Leesville Lake.

The store sits in the middle of Leesville, the second oldest incorporated town in Virginia after Jamestown. Leesville was subdivided into hundreds of lots in the late 1700’s. It was quite the bustling little community back in the day with a doctor, a blacksmith shop, boarding houses, a sawmill, and a train station. All set in the banks of Staunton River and Goose Creek and served by the Norfolk and Western Railway. Many people rode the train that passed through Leesville to all parts of the state and the train was also used in receiving goods.

In addition of being the proprietor of Carter’s Store, Grand-daddy C.L. Carter was also the owner of the saw mill, sold tickets at the train station, and later built a tomato and peach canning factory during World War II under contract with the Federal Government. The canning factory was called “Moon’s Mountain Cannery.”  This offered the locals a place to sell their crops for credit which could be used for goods at the store. C.L. Carter once said that when he was in the chow line as a Marine in New Guinea during World War II, he spotted a case of Moon’s Mountain Tomatoes.

Each generation of Carters has been credited with helping the folks of the area survive because of the convenience and credit extended to them. Uncle Calvin P. Carter, opened up a rock mining operation in the 1960’s and sold what he called “V.A. Log stone” to many individuals and businesses around the country. Texaco gas stations once put stone facial on all of their stores and much of it was purchased right here in Leesville. 

This year marks the 140th anniversary of Carter’s General Store. What a great way to celebrate by reopening with the same family it started with.