For 111 years, Dean’s Store has been a fixture on Main Street, serving as the city’s visitors center since 2001. A recent renovation brought the interior up to date while maintaining memorabilia that reflects the store’s history.
Dean’s Store opened in April 1906. A local physician, Dr. William Dean, and his oldest son, Linton, who had graduated from business school in Atlanta, intended to operate a doctor’s office and pharmacy at that location. After Dr. Dean passed away in the store’s first year, Linton turned it into a patent drug store and general store. It was the home of the area’s first Coca-Cola fountain, and it served as a Trailways bus station until 1975.
At different times, the store served as the collection agency for telephone, electricity and water, in addition to some city services, such as payment of taxes and applications for business licenses. With the attractions of the soda fountain and the abundance of Coca-Cola products, and the welcoming atmosphere, Dean’s Store has served as a meeting place for decades. Woodstock’s retired gentlemen have gathered in the store throughout its history.
Today, Dean’s Store is a home for Preservation Woodstock and the Woodstock Visitors Center, which serves more than 14,000 visitors each year. It’s one of Georgia’s regional visitor information centers, and is staffed by two Georgia-certified travel planners, Woodstock Tourism Manager Kyle Bennett and Marketing Manager Stacy Brown. www.visitwoodstockga.com
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