Family’s ownership of landmark Charles City country store coming to a close

Effective Feb. 1, Jan and Charles Haupt are relinquishing ownership of their family business, Haupt’s Country Store, where they have been behind the counter for more than 50 years.

Andre' Jones photo

Historic Route 5 in southern Charles City accommodates hundreds of vehicles every day, allowing motorists to pass a variety of plantations and the homes of former presidents of the United States. But before there were identification signs, paved roads, and even vehicles, there existed a country store that serviced residents as well as visitors to the county.

Haupt’s Country Store, located at 11911 John Tyler Memorial Highway, first opened in 1893 and has been owned by a member of the Haupt family ever since. Now, the popular county store is being handed over to new owners outside of the family. The store has been sold to Roy Kaba and Saleem Valiani, who also own and operate the historic Adkins’ Store at the intersection of Lott Cary and Adkins roads in the county.

Charles E. Haupt, and Jeanette V. Haupt have owned the store since 1976. Before taking over, Charles’ parents, George H. and Julia Major Haupt, operated the store. His grandparents originally opened the store before the turn of the last century.

“It was a whole new concept about doing business,” said Charles. “A lot of people didn’t believe a place like this could survive during the changing times.”

But the establishment isn’t just a country store. When you walk in, you can pick up a wide arrange of groceries. Meats continually are fresh cut, but the store has sold other items that made it unique to the community. Coal, clothing, shoes, house paint, hunting gear, fishing equipment, school supplies and more could be found for sale in the store.

If you were looking for it, more than likely Haupt’s would have it. The family took pride in maintaining items in stock that proved hard to find, even at the “big box” retailers.

Now comes a changing of the guard as the family relinquishes control. Charles spoke about the difficult decision to sell the property.

“It’s been on the market for more than five years,” he said. “Handling day to day operations have become more difficult and we are doing the best we can.”

Charles referenced medical issues he and his wife have encountered over the past, including back surgery and hip replacement. Nevertheless, the spirit within the store remains high. Even as this interview was conducted, Charles continued to service customers by dispensing kerosene and cutting fresh meat. Wife Jeanette, Jan as she is known, hugged customers who are sad to see them leave.

Despite changing times, the store continues to thrive on their success and methods from the past. Many of the customers hold lines of credit, handwritten on “tickets” instead of credit cards and online billing. And if you need knowledge about the county, Haupt’s is the place to go. From horse drawn carriages on unpaved roads to modern mopeds zipping along the major Charles City thoroughfare, the quaint building has seen it all.

Haupt’s Store has done many things for customers. If you had a missing hunting dog, you could come to Haupt’s and report it. If a visitor from out of town needed directions, Haupt’s provided it. Even a cyclist reported that he was allowed to camp behind the store during his travels and was very grateful for the experience.

While the store has had many employees over the years, customers have been almost guaranteed to see a member of the family behind the counter. If not Charles or Jan, then a brother, nephew, or granddaughter would be on hand to help customers with their needs. Then there’s Donald Jones, an employee who has given more than 40 years of faithful service to the Haupts.

When news of the impending sale spread through the community, patrons flocked to the store to see if reports were true and to express sadness over Charles and Jan’s departure.

“Many people have come by to tell us they’re sorry that we’re leaving,” said Jan. “We can’t even begin to thank our customers too much.”

When asked how the store continued to thrive during tough economic times and against the continuous evolution of technology, Charles had a quick-fired response.

“The good Lord gave us health and strength,” he said. “We didn’t get sick until our seventies.

“You see so many businesses and distributors cut the middle man out,” he continued. “We were able to last this long because of our customers and community.”

Mentioning the community nearly brought tears to the couple’s eyes.

“You see so many people become dependent on each other here,” Charles said. “My deepest thanks go to the immediate community; the people I see every day.

“I believe in closeness of the community. A lot of stores fail because they do not have that.”

In a press release, the Haupts thanked the community for everything they did, but the words they spoke during the interview had a profound impact.

“Thank you. That’s the big thing,” Charles said. “It’s because of them that we are so appreciative that the county residents we served and those who have worked with us have made this successful.”

“I hope to come back and see everyone along the line,” added Jan. “I want to continue to see this store grow and serve the community.”