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Northern Bay Market: “It’s Been a
Store Forever”
Sally Bridges of Penobscot, left,
and Lesley Johnson of East Orland enjoy a lunch on the front
porch of the Northern Bay Market in Penobscot, recently, as they
discuss a project they are doing at the Penobscot Elementary
School where Johnson teaches. |
The casual customer in the Northern Bay Market would not think that
James Henry is anywhere near retirement age.
But 18 years ago, Henry bought the Blodgett Store so that he might
someday retire from teaching at the Penobscot
Elementary School.
Since then, Henry did retire from teaching—it was last year—but has
kept the country store.
The store is the town’s gathering place and one of its very few
businesses.
Inside the store, a bare wood floor, its heavy wood grain showing
through the darkness brought with age, gives the store an antique
look. Shelves are stocked with cereals and convenience foods. By the
front door is a magazine rack where young starlets gaze out from
covers at customers. There are shelves with a few videotapes for
rent and the usual tobacco products.
On a recent Thursday, Marilyn Tapley rang up sales of sandwiches and
soft drinks for two men taking a break from work on town roads.
“I’ve lived all my life, since I was married 52 years ago, [in an
apartment] over the historical society,” Tapley said. She and her
husband, Robert, are happy with life in Penobscot. “It’s just a
pretty place to live…we just love it here.”
Henry, too, is content with life. He was a selectman for 16 years
and teacher for 29, teaching grades seven and eight.
“It’s been a store forever,” Henry said of the building with its
Mobil gas pumps in front. “The building’s 140 or 150 years old and I
bought it from a guy who ran a store here for 38 years.
“The summer people want lobsters, crabmeat and clams, so I carry
those,” Henry said, waving one hand toward the tank of dark green
live lobsters. “We also do pizza and sandwiches.”
Outside, a New Brunswick couple was getting ready to pump gas but
looked confused as the wife held the gas nozzle and looked at the
storefront. Two customers who were eating lunch on the front porch
told them to just pump the gas. “You don’t have to pay first.”
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