Visit the End of the Commons General Store, where time stands still

MESOPOTAMIA, Ohio — The rest of the country might not know it, but there is a time machine in Ohio.

This one doesn’t require any special calculations or whirring gadgets; there’s no need to recite an arcane spell or to fill your tank with plutonium. Walking through the doors, the End of the Commons General Store and gas station welcomes shoppers who will soon discover that they have somehow slipped the bounds of time and been transported back to the past.

Nestled in an idyllic, historic village, it’s the sort of place where the creaky wooden floors, antique artifacts, handheld fry pies and yummy penny candy bring the years to life.

The experience never grows old to Lavon O’Neill, of Andover, Ohio, whose family makes an annual trip to the store each year.

“We’ve actually brought my daughter-in-law from Alaska and grandchildren, and they thought it was the coolest thing,” O’Neill said. “They have nothing like this where they live.”

Because where else but the End of the Commons does time stand still?

“You can come here 100 times and not see everything,” O’Neill said, smiling. “It’s always something different.”

Open for business since before the Civil War, the building has served the community at one time as a barber shop and as a United States Post Office. The general store is a gateway to a bygone era, but its longevity and charm are no accident. They are the result of one family’s dedication and commitment to preserving an experience that, in today’s modern age, has gone the way of the dinosaurs, capturing all the sweet notes of nostalgia as generations of Buckeyes make memories that will last a lifetime.

Peter Schaden remembers when his family took over the original store, in December 1981. Originally from Cleveland, the Schadens lived in Garfield Heights, where Schaden’s father worked as an overseas buyer for Bobbie Brooks, a women’s apparel company. But city life and corporate work had begun to wear on him.

“We used to actually come out to the general store when we were little and get penny candy. You know, to come to the park here, because we were trying to get out of the city to the country,” Schaden said.

His father had a vision. When he inquired about purchasing the store, the owners initially weren’t too keen on the idea but promised to think it over.

Two weeks later, they agreed to sell under two conditions: They would not haggle on the price and they would not remove anything from the store except for their own personal belongings. The previous owners had lived upstairs for nearly 50 years, and the store itself had never once closed its doors since its establishment in 1840.

Lost treasures

What the Schadens initially thought was a humble operation was actually hiding a cache of lost treasures that would surely rival the collection in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh King Tutankhamun. There were cash registers, scales, dry goods, needle boxes and even canned goods all stashed away.

“My parents didn’t think the price was so bad, but they thought, what are we going to do with all this junk?” Schaden said.

The building was packed with goods, many boxed away and forgotten. As they started cleaning the place out, they uncovered something remarkable: For over a century, unsold merchandise had simply been stored away rather than discarded.

Not knowing what to do with it all, something unexpected happened.

“A tour bus pulled up outside,” Schaden said. “The tour guide asked my dad if they could all come in. My dad thought, well, sure. But why would you want to? Because at that time, it was literally just like a little convenience store.”

Instead, visitors were captivated by the store’s atmosphere. That’s when the Schadens began to understand how their time machine worked. They began displaying all the old artifacts and stocking shelves with nostalgic candy like candy cigarettes and wax lips. Today, the store still sells 28 different kinds of penny candy, keeping the tradition alive even as costs have risen.

“We see so many different generations coming in that used to get a quarter to get 25 pieces of penny candy,” Schaden said. “And now they’re bringing their kids in, or they’re bringing their grandkids in.”

“It feels like home”

Over time, the store has grown to encompass the former gas station next door, complete with vintage signage. Schaden said that the original idea was to demolish the structure to make way for a parking lot, but the underground tanks were still in good condition, and they did not want to force members of the local Amish community to travel far to get fuel. That left the Schadens’ contractor with the unenviable task of engineering a means to join the old store and gas station, two structures standing side by side but separated by a century. He managed to construct an airy new space with a red brick facade hearkening back to the town’s beginnings that today houses a cafe and new restrooms.

What began as a modest business offering the area’s Amish bulk products at affordable prices has transformed into a unique destination where every visit is a trip down memory lane. The Schadens aim to make each customer’s experience special, ensuring that parents, kids and even reluctant husbands can usually find something to enjoy.

“A lot of times, going shopping is kind of a drag,” Schaden said. “But here, we’re trying to figure out, how do we keep the husband occupied, the kids and the mom, so when they leave, they’re smiling and saying, ‘Hey, that was a fun little trip.’”

Families can make a day of it at End of the Commons, which offers a variety of attractions for visitors of all ages. Guests can order something savory from the deli and enjoy lunch sitting in the cafe. For animal lovers, the petting zoo out back is home to some friendly goats.

Want to uncover some precious stones? There’s a 30-foot gem mining sluice that lets visitors buy bags of dirt and search for gems in the flowing water.

Have a kid that’s always playing in the dirt? Send them over to the “digger zone” for an exciting opportunity to operate excavators and even use a grappling hook to pick up logs or tires.

Recently, the store expanded its offerings with an all-new chocolate shop and adjoining bed-and-breakfast, featuring units on both levels.

The property is also home to a cemetery with headstones dating back hundreds of years, which was recently cleaned up by student volunteers who removed poison ivy and used special cleaners to restore the memorials’ readability.

Elise Foster, an employee who is also Schaden’s niece, said she enjoys hearing about the history of the place, and even has a few personal favorites among the antiques that adorn the store. “One thing I always notice is this little baby doll head on the wall,” she laughed. “It always catches my eye.”

When asked what makes End of the Commons so special, Foster pointed to the store’s warm, inviting feel.

“It’s very comforting,” she said. “It feels like home.”

The atmosphere has not only resonated with locals but has also attracted visitors from around the world.

“We’ve been getting a lot of people coming in from different countries, lately,” she said. There’s a guestbook in the store inviting visitors to leave notes about where they’re from and how they learned about the store. Foster said she finds it fascinating to see how far word of mouth about the store has spread.

The same invisible strings connecting total strangers to the store also tug on Foster’s extended family as they observe some local, deep-rooted traditions. Her favorite time to work is during Mesopotamia’s annual Ox Roast, a three-day flea market bonanza held around the Fourth of July each year with live entertainment and food. It’s the only Sunday of the year that the End of the Commons is open.

For the family, it’s a special time to come together and celebrate their shared history.

“I love it,” Foster said. “And when we have all our family together, it’s definitely a ton of fun.”