Interview with Samuel L. Beverage - 2005

Frank Beverage (center) was born in 1861 and died in 1958. He was born, grew up and lived at the place on the Middle Road, now of David Jermann. He turned the Farm over to his son Arthur and started building the Store at the Village. The construction took place in the early 1920’s when he was already past middle aged! About 5 years to complete. 

The building materials which he used came mostly from old houses and barns which he tore down at Pulpit Harbor and other places around the Island. He would have had to buy some supplies, such as Cement, Main Studding, Tar Paper, Nails, Paint, Shingles so it was probably about 50-50. It is known that the Schoolhouse at Pulpit Harbor and the George Wooster Barn at Bartlett Harb or were included. His son Arthur helped take down some of the buildings and there probably were others. Not much as been recorded about who helped build the store but surely he had to have help with the staging and heavy timbers. 

It has been said that he did the greatest amount of the work by himself! In any case it was quite an undertaking for a man in his sixties! The steep front stairs were quite a strain on anyone who visited there. I believe there must have been some back stairs going down from the Kitchen area but I never saw them. 

My father always said that “Uncle Frank’s Store” really wasn’t much of a success and didn’t have regular hours like the other stores. Getting things there was more like “by appointment”. One feature was a great success and is what the store is best remembered for. The Popcorn Machine which he had running when there were Movies or a Dance at nearby Calderwood Hall. When all lighted up and full of freshly popped and buttered corn it was a memorable sight! Quite often he would have it out on the porch but at other times it would be just inside the door. I don’t recall how much he charged in those days of Penny Candy the Popcorn could be considered a luxury. Between his Popcorn and Aunt Lourania Calderwood’s Ice Cream afterwards, one could easily spend their allowance! Where he got the machine and where it went to I do not know. 

The Garage next door belonged to the Will Hopkins Family. Uncle Frank’s Family had some use of it as elder daughter Linda’s large open Touring Car was stored there. That car was later driven by her sister Etta (inset). - Samuel H. Beverage (2005).  

P.S. - There has also been some discussion as to how the place was heated in the Winter, and cooking the year around? Wood seems to have been the only fuel used. That was quite a lot of work, not only of sawing and splitting the wood but also in carrying it up all those stairs! There was a Kitchen stove to feed and probably a Parlor stove. We do not know if there was a stove of some kind in the store? In any case the fuel supply for that building must have been quite a chore for a person of his age! S.H.B.