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.

Elisabeth Girouard, new owner of The Brick Store, removes a batch of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies from the oven. Elisabeth and her husband, Paul, purchased the business earlier this year. Together with their four children, the Girouards are reviving the century-old historic store that has been dormant for the past five years. TBWS/Trish Griswold

On her way through town, Sandy Parker, owner of Cottage Creations in Woodsville, stops by The Brick Store to make a cup of freshly brewed coffee to go. TBWS/Trish Griswold

Built in the early 1800s, The Brick Store has served as a community hub for generations. Its proud new owners, the Girouard Family, hope to safeguard the store’s timeless charm and heritage as a general store while introducing new products and giving it their own personal touch. TBWS/Trish Griswold

Cashier Kelly Nelson (R) chats with June Paige, of Lisbon, who stopped by last week to purchase a homemade old-fashioned donut—her favorite. “People don’t make donuts the way they used to,” June says. “[The Brick Store] has been closed for too long. I certainly hope they continue to do well.” TBWS/Trish Griswold

The Brick Store offers a collection of New Hampshire memorabilia, cards, gifts, toys, books, games, jams, honey, sauces, maple syrup, and much more. TBWS/Trish Griswold

The Brick Store’s ever-popular candy counter is back. Single pieces of candy are available for five and ten cents apiece. TBWS/Trish Griswold

The Rocking Chairs’ Last Street Dance Curtain Call

By Trish Griswold

Mike Lusby has created The Rocking Chairs’ next album cover, an animated picture collage that depicts the band’s current members. Pictured (clockwise from top left) are: Bobby Caffey, Alex Valliant, Mike Lusby, Jim Lusby, and Ron Barale. - Courtesy photo

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Bath, NH - Last Saturday night, The Rocking Chairs’ soulful classic rock music reverberated for miles as townspeople, young and old, congregated on the Bath Common one final time to sing, dance, and celebrate.


The Rocking Chairs, a local band comprised of close friends and family, has been the heart and soul of the Bath Firefighters’ Benefit Concert/Street Dance for the past 17 years, with the exception of 2020 and 2021 when public venues throughout the state were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The band, which currently features brothers Mike and Jim Lusby on drums and bass guitar respectively, Ron Barale and Bobby Caffey on guitar and Alex Valliant on lead vocals, makes it their mission each year to share their passion for music with family, friends, and neighbors. Their annual concert is free and doubles as an opportunity to help raise funds to support the town’s 17-member volunteer fire department. “[Chief] Donnie Bowman has said to me many times that, even if we didn’t raise any money or get any donations, the Fire Department loves giving the town something to do together,” Mike explains. “I think that’s perfectly worded because that’s what it’s all about.”


According to Mike, former Fire Chief Willy Minot was receptive when he approached the Fire Department in 2007 with a philanthropic proposal to cultivate community spirit and raise much-needed funds. The Rocking Chairs’ relationship with the Fire Department evolved from there. Monies raised have provided numerous college scholarships for local seniors and helped off-set the cost(s) of big ticket items, such as equipment, so that firefighters have access to the tools they need without over-burdening tax payers. “It was Ron’s idea to do a benefit for some entity, and we’ve been doing [the concert/street dance] ever since.”


From January to August each year, a considerable amount of work happens behind the scenes. Mike handles most of the event planning, from scheduling and advertising to production and sponsorships. He has developed a network of local businesses that donate goods and services, including WMUR meteorologist Kevin Skarupa, who provides up-to-the-minute forecasts starting one week before the event. “He’s our lucky charm,” Mike quips. “We haven’t been rained out in 17 years.”


In order to “pull this off,” Mike says, it requires an incredible amount of support from a myriad of community partners. Strawberry Farm Band opens for The Rocking Chairs, Don Vogt from Audio Farm Productions provides sound and lighting, and the Bath Police Department, with assistance from surrounding departments, provides crowd control and emergency services. “People have really respected it,” Ron comments. “We’ve never had any problems. Nobody ever disrespected it.”


Other sponsors include: WYKR, Amoskeag Beverages, The Little Grille, Jamie Lynn’s Kitchen, Red’s Auto Spa, Heathen Design Co., and Fresh Coat Finishes. In addition to holding a raffle, the Fire Department prepares a barbecue luncheon consisting of burgers, hot dogs, potato chips, and soda. They also “took over a lot of the heavy lifting” several years ago when assembling the stage, risers, etc. became too much for the band members. “We do the benefit for them, but they do a lot of the work.”


Given their popularity and overwhelming success, one might question why The Rocking Chairs would call it quits after nearly two decades of performing for the community they love. “Unfortunatley life changes,” Mike says, citing increasing costs, travel expenses, arthritis, and other health issues as the main reasons. “We will still record and do parties on the grass [at home] during the day when it’s warm, but we’re getting too old for this.”


When asked about the future of the Street Dance, Chief Bowman replies, “It’s tremendous what Mike has done. I don’t think it’s the right thing to do to have someone take Mike’s spot at the Street Dance because it’s Mike. It’s his doing. It’s The Rocking Chairs. It’s their thing. It just doesn’t feel right.”


The Rocking Chairs may have had their last curtain call, but fans can still purchase their music, including originals and covers, on a variety of platforms, such as Amazon Music and iTunes.