Brittain Store

Photo by Dewey E. Fox - May 2007

What ever happened?

To my regret here is another old country grocery store that has "bite the dust"
as the saying goes down here in the South. This store is location at the intersection
of Pete Brittain Road and Enola Road across from Liberty and Patton High School.
Another store that has been replaced by progress, by the super store.
Whatever happened to that friendly store that we went by to chat and pick up
that loaf of bread or gallon of milk. When things were a little more laid-back.

Please read the email below from Ed Denton, a lifelong resident of the Enola Community.

Photo by Dewey E. Fox - May 2007

Pete Brittain Store

Pete Britain’s Store is located at the intersection of Enola Road and Pete Brittain Road south of Morganton and before one gets to Enola.  Peter Brittain and his wife, Lilly Hawkins,** started the store in their small house across the road from the present-day store building.

 After some success selling from their house, they built the present day building in the early 1920’s and it was one of the larger stores in the area at the time. This area is still referred to by local residents of the Enola community as “Petersburg”. 

Brittain’s Store was typical for community stores of the era.  General merchandise such as sugar, flour, meal, candy, tobacco and groceries were offered.  Gas pumps were added later. 

Peter (Pete) Brittain and Lilly Hawkins were from two of the largest landowner families in the Enola Community.  These two families owned most of the lands from Petersburg south along Enola Road to the Poteet and Denton lands.  Through marriage, most of the original families in Enola were kin to Pete and Lilly Brittain.  Following is a list of the Pete Brittain children that I remember.  There may be more but I think this is complete.

 Clarence Brittain *

Major Brittain

Paul Henry Brittain

Velsie Brittain Denton

May Brittain Poteet

Myrtle Brittain Duckworth

Pete Brittain hanged himself on Easter Friday on a hill behind the store.  He dropped from a large oak tree.  He was buried the following Easter Sunday.  It was snowing. 

 Pete Brittain’s Store has remained in the Brittain family.  Pete’s youngest son, Paul Henry, ran the store for a number of years in the 60’s, and 70’s.  The store has since been converted to an apartment and the last I knew, Pete’s descendents lived in the building.

 *As a sad footnote, later in life, his son Clarence also killed himself by gunshot.

** Lilly Hawkins Brittain was a sister to Tessie Hawkins Hicks, owner to Hicks Store in   Enola.

 Email from Ed Denton, a lifelong resident of the Enola Community - June 2007