The original general store at 804 Riverside Drive in Wakefield was built in 1910 by Mr. Dan Morrison. Rufus Chamberlin, who was a store clerk at MacLaren's General Store (located to the north-side of the Black Sheep Inn), bought the store from Mr. Morrison in 1925. He ran it along with his son Charlie for over 50 years. In 1970, our parents, Keith and Kay Nesbitt bought Chamberlin's. They renamed it the Wakefield General Store. Having raised beef cattle in Rupert, Keith knew good beef and soon acquired the reputation of providing top-quality meat to regular customers as far away as Montreal. Our parents also ran the store as the Chamberlin family had - as a true general store (and the first store in the area with a beer license) - where customers could buy everything from woolen long-johns to kerosene, and from a case of Molson's to a moose-hunting license.
In 1990, our family refurbished the store. We opened up the second floor as a boutique, which we called the PlumTree Room. Upstairs we carried a variety of well-chosen drygoods: everything from fabrics, and toys, to housewares and handknit socks. Downstairs, we added on an artisan bakery. Having inherited a love of baking from our grandmothers, we baked cheese breadsticks, tourtières, pies and breads - all carefully prepared from scratch. The bakery soon outgrew the space, and we transferred that business across the street to the Wakefield Bakery (formerly Orme's).
In 2003, we rebuilt and enlarged the store in the same architectural style as the original. When the old store was replaced, we understood it represented a period of history that needed to be commemorated. We commissioned local artists to create vivid murals of village life, and we created a display of archival photos from the Gatineau Valley Historical Society of people and events from the village's past. With a nod to the family who ran the store before us, we named the second level Chamberlin's Lookout, where a gift boutique, a bistro and outdoor patio offer beautiful gifts, tasty food and a panoramic view of the Gatineau River. Downstairs is the grocery store, well-stocked with everything from local, organic and artisan goods to the reliable and recognized line of President's Choice products.
Wakefield General Store is now in its 40th year of business with the Nesbitt family. Keith and Kay's four children and several of their fourteen grand-kids have been or are still active in the store and in the community.