Sutton General Store Looks to Join National Historic Register

The Sutton General Store in Granville has applied to become part of the National Historic Register.

Granville Museum President Randall Clemmons said the store carries significant historical value and has become a tourist attraction for the community.

“It is a very historic place, a very unique building, and we have received a lot of recognition from the Tennessee Historical Commission,” Clemmons said. “The store has also been recognized in the last two years. It’s one of the 13 most charming general stores in America. It was chosen by Taste of the South Magazine as the number one [most-visited store] in the South.”

If approved, the museum and store will receive federal grant funding for being on the National Register. Clemmons said that funding would go towards maintaining the building.

“Anytime you have a historic building that was built in 1865, there’s always a lot of needs in the maintenance and improvements to that building be able to preserve it,” Clemmons said. “So that’s the main thing that we’re looking for is just additional funding that would help us to continue to preserve the building and keep it in its original form as much as possible.”

Clemmons said being on the National Register would be meaningful to the community and those who help preserve its history.

“We are operated by 210 volunteers who give up their time to preserve the history of Granville and to preserve the way the town used to be,” Clemmons said. “The store is the mainstay of what we do there and it’s the largest tourist attraction that we currently have.”

The State Review Board will consider the application during their next meeting Jan. 30. The Granville Museum is located at 169 Clover Street.