In the early years of the 20th century, the village of Potter Place was a beehive of activity. It was here that the Northern Railroad turned north from its westward course through Andover from Concord, Boston, and points further south. Travelers would continue on by coach (and later by autobus) to destinations further west, such as Lake Sunapee and New London.
A very active village developed at Potter Place to accommodate the traveling public in addition to the other railroad-related activities such as fresh milk shipment and other agricultural and commercial shipments. There was the imposing Hotel Potter, the Blackwater Manor boarding house, a stable, several restaurants, a pool hall, two general stores, and a post office.
The J.C. Emons General Store and Post Office is one of the remaining buildings from those active times. It was built in 1912 by George W. Weed as a general store. An extension was later added for the post office. The store continued in operation until 1958. The post office remained active until 1988. John C. Emons owned and operated the store in the years 1935 to 1940.
The building was donated to the Andover Historical Society by H. Everett Humphreys of Andover in 1994. The Society is recreating its appearance and ambiance as a general store with typical furnishings and materials of the era. Particularly interesting is the restored “tin” ceiling (in reality, sheet steel with a tin coating).
The post office retains the old lockboxes and customer window. Behind the window can be seen the sorting table where incoming mail was organized for delivery.
A gift shop is located in the store, where books, videos, and other documents of Andover history are available. Also available are t-shirts and other items relating to Andover.