Girouard Family Breathes New Life Into Bath’s Historic Brick Store

By Trish Griswold

Kelly Nelson, Jeanne Corbinand, Elisabeth Girouard, and Monica Stapleton (L-R) are four of the friendly faces you might see behind The Brick Store’s fully stocked fudge counter. Using former owner Nancy Lusby’s famed recipe, the store offers a variety of fudge options from classic peanut butter and chocolate to more unique and/or seasonal flavors, such as cherry cheesecake and orange cream. TBWS/Trish Griswold

Bath, NH - Built in the early 1800s, The Brick Store has been a fixture in the Bath community for nearly two centuries. Operating as a general store, which also housed the town’s post office until 1943, The Brick Store has served as a social hub for generations. The store closed in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was vacant until April of this year, when the Girouard Family reopened its doors, breathing new life into this iconic North Country landmark.

“I think about what the general store was 200 years ago. It was a place for people to gather and connect as a community. It was a place of provision and steadiness,” remarks Elisabeth Girouard, who recently purchased the store, together with her husband, Paul. “Over the last several years, that has not been the case here. We have lost that on this corner, and we really desire to bring that back.”

For the past seven years, the Girouard Family has left their Burlington, MA, home to spend their summer vacations at Twin River Campground, just one mile from The Brick Store at the corner of US Route 10 and NH Route 112. Each year, the Girouards were saddened to see that the store remained closed. Elisabeth’s vision for reviving The Brick Store evolved from there.

“Retail is new for us,” states Elisabeth, who has a degree in sociology and years of experience in business operations, graphic design, and photography. “We felt like this place needed to be saved. Somebody needed to do it, and we wanted to take that step of faith. We said, ‘Let’s try it,’ not just for our family because we wanted to live here, but for Bath. We wanted to give the store back to Bath.”

The past few months have been a learning curve for the Girouards as they talk with customers about the products they would like to see in the store. “We really want to find a balance between serving the tourists, of course, because we need that to keep the store open but also being a place for the locals to stop and not have to travel all the way to Woodsville or Lisbon.”

In response to countless requests, the Girouards have brought back a few signature items, including homemade fudge, smoked cheeses, and smoked meats. Elisabeth says that former owners Mike and Nancy Lusby have been incredibly kind and generous in supporting them with their new business venture.

“Nancy offered them the same advice that we received from a previous owner when we bought the store in 1992,” Mike explains. “Doris Whitcomb, a member of the Armstrong family, said that each new owner puts their own stamp on the store, making it their own, and that's just how it should be. We always strove to honor the traditions of the store while adding our own touches. I would say that, having met with Liz and Paul, we are so happy that they are the ones taking over the responsibility and tradition of owning the store. The village has been so dead, not having the store thriving, so it's wonderful seeing it come to life again.”

In fact, the Lusbys have shared their recipes, vendors, and product lines with the Girouards. Elisabeth is using Nancy’s famed fudge recipe to stock the display with various options from traditional chocolate and peanut butter to more modern flavors, like cookies and cream, orange cream, and cherry cheesecake. Their smoked cheese is also proving to be a hot commodity. Paul smoked 10 lbs. one day, and it was sold out two days later. The specific brand of pepperoni the Lusbys used, however, has been difficult to source. The Girouards have ordered a few samples, and if everything works out, they’ll have smoked pepperoni on the shelves within a week or so. “We’ve been told we aren’t The Brick Store without the smoked goods,” Elisabeth jokes.

Other homemade foods prepared by Elisabeth and her mother-in-law with the help of a few staff include breakfast sandwiches, muffins, donuts, cookies, and lunch sandwiches. The store is stocked with dairy products and shelf-stable grocery items, such as bread, jams, condiments, toilet paper, and freshly ground nut butters. Their New Hampshire-sourced products and memorabilia, including mugs, t-shirts, magnets, keychains, and old-time games, make wonderful gifts and collectibles. New to the store are fresh flower bouquets made by Bath resident Tina Comstock. “I would love to connect with local farms and get some fresh produce too,” Elisabeth says. “I’m still working on the best way to do that.”

The Brick Store will be open year-round from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Saturday. They are proud to announce a loyalty program that offers patrons $5.00 off their purchase for every 10 visits. Their ice cream shop, known as The Creamery, will also reopen on Friday, August 7th. They will serve hard and soft ice cream cones as well as floats and sundaes. The Creamery will be open from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm Monday through Saturday.

Stop by The Brick Store or give the Girouards a call at (603) 991-1716. They welcome your support in honoring the store’s heritage and ensuring that it continues to serve the community for generations.