End of the Commons General Store in Mesopotamia. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

By Ken Drenten

When we made a trip to End of the Commons General Store in Mesopotamia, Ohio, a couple years ago, I wasn’t quite sure what the name meant. Did it mean, “This is not your ordinary, common store?” or “Get ready for something uncommon?”

In reality, it means neither of those things. “End of the Commons” refers to its site on the grassy rectangular area in the middle of town, known as the commons. Sometimes this central area is referred to as a town square, center or green.

Built in 1840, End of the Commons General Store is the oldest operating general store in the state of Ohio. The store stocks more than 1,000 bulk food products as well as hard-to-find kitchen gadgets and household items, homemade fudge, hand-dipped ice cream, and more than 150 varieties of soda pop and penny candy — and their penny candy is actually still just one cent. Hmm — that’s uncommon!

Upon entering the store, you will find on display old clothes and shoes, a barber chair, a postal office, a player piano, a 1950 Indian motorcycle and many other antiques and memorabilia. Outside the store you can find a collection of cars that range from a 1916 Depot Hack to a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere. A restored 1940s-era gasoline station is nearby as well.

But the store is most known for its fry pies. Their in-store bakery makes fry pies fresh several times a week in 13 different varieties, from apple to chocolate Bavarian cream. The store’s cafe also serves freshly sliced deli meats and cheeses and Amish-made sandwiches, pizza, subs, coffee drinks, baked goods and many more lunch counter items to eat in the cafe or take to go.

So it turns out that this general store is also a grocery store, bakery, delicatessen, restaurant and museum all in one — a pretty darned uncommon place after all.

Located in Ohio’s northeastern Amish country in Trumbull County, you can find End of the Commons General Store at 8719 SR 534, Mesopotamia (440) 693-4295.

Ken Drenten is creator and editor of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

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