The Vermont Country Store
Vrest and Ellen Orton opened The Vermont Country Store in Weston, Vermont, in 1946. They were inspired by childhood memories of Vrest's father's general store in North Calais, Vermont, which opened in 1897. The Weston store was the first restored rural general store in the nation. Today, The Vermont Country Store is owned by Lyman Orton and sons Cabot, Gardner, and Eliot, 8th generation Vermonters, and 4th, 5th generation storekeepers. They adhere to the old-fashioned values set forth by Vrest and take pride in being Purveyors of the Practical and Hard-to-Find