Today'sNorthington Saloon in the old 1900 G.H. Northington General Store & Meat Market

Built at the Turn of the Century, these historic commercial properties are now the home of ….

The Northington Saloon
An 1870's Western Style Saloon with Authentic Western Antiquities
in Historic Egypt, Texas

ENJOY A TIME OUT with FRIENDS

On the Porch …..Around the Pool Table….Playing Dominoes
Singin' Songs
Hanging Out at the Antique Bar
Enjoy Warmin' Up around the Wood Burn Stove
and..
Sometimes there's even some daw-gone, good eatin' BBQ for Supper!

AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PARTIES

OPEN FOR REGULAR SALOON HOURS
On Weekends

WATCH FOR SPECIAL COUNTRY WESTERN CONCERTS

Contact:
John or Carolyn Northington
979-677-3536 or 979-677-9443 or 281-242-7658 carolynn2@earthlink.com
www.egypttexas.com
for more information about the Saloon!

G.H.NORTHINGTON GENERAL STORE & MEAT MARKET
BUSINESS HISTORY

The G.H. Northington Sr., Mercantile Store was built in 1900 after the successful, Northington Duncan Partnership was dissolved. Both families continued to operate their, two, independent general
stores thereafter until the 1960's when market conditions no longer supported the business. The Northington Store included a General Mercantile and Feed Store. George Northington Jr. acquired the property in an estate settlement with family members and eventually the property was passed down to the present owner, John Northington.

John leased the store to business tenants for several years before converting it to a party rental facility with the adjoining Saloon (former Meat Market.)

The Northington Store provided cash and carry and credit to their customers for food, feed and merchandise. Most of their regular customers were farmers and ranchers dependent on seasonal crop sales and therefore provided 90 day and longer credit. Additionally the store hours were also built around the needs of their customers opening at the break of dawn, closing at nine at night and open all day Saturdays.

Catalog Sales such as The Spence Mead Co., Wholesale Tailors, Marshall Field's in Chicago offered more extensive, quality merchandise that would otherwise be unavailable without having to travel for days to Houston, Austin or San Antonio. Jewelry, clothing, appliances, furniture and more was available by railroad, which stopped daily at the nearby Cotton Cane/Santa Fe Railroad Depot in Egypt and Glen Flora.

SOCIAL CENTERS OF COMMERCE

The Northington Store was a social center. It was a place to get local news, trading produce for other goods and swapping techniques for farming, ranching, hunting and raising children. It was a place to find seasonal workers or employers, home remedies, voting polls and more. The Northington Store, like other small town markets, was part of the daily lives of generations of rural residents. It served customers of all races, ages, educational backgrounds - the cross section of those who made up the community as a whole.

OTHER EGYPT COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

Another frame structure was built in 1900 located two lots north of the Store for use as a Pecan Warehouse. It has continued to be used by the current owner, John Northington, as an automotive/farm machinery repair shop and is now used as a museum for various horse buggies, horseless carriages, farm implements and automotive restoration shop.

In 1914/1915 G.H. Northington's son, Mentor Northington, built a brick, one story Grocery Store. This building was positioned between the Northington Store and the Pecan Warehouse. It included an ice machine and compressor used to maintain a freezer and cooler for the preservation of meats and perishable produce. The two operations were interwoven using both structures. The Meat Market/Grocery operated for over thirty years serving customers in a twenty-five mile radius.

By 1920, Egypt had two Cotton Gins, a Rice Dryer, a Railroad Depot, a U.S. Post Office, a Horse Race Track, several Rodeo operations, two General Stores, a Feed Store, a Pecan Warehouse, two schools and several churches.

ENJOY THE FEELING OF BY GONE DAYS

The Store retains not only its original fixtures but contains many of the advertising signs, catalogs, sundries, jewelry and other merchandise left over from the 100 year store stock. Evidence of a hundred years of wear and tear and make shift maintenance adds to its hard earned character such as old, tin-can tops from long-gone products plug floor holes reminding us of the practical role of this building and the resourceful store managers who kept this business going for over seventy five years.

The simple, front façade has a screened, double door flanked by two double hung windows with security bars to protect the merchandise.
A great place to visit while waiting for the Wharton Spectator Journal, the El Campo Leader News, Eagle Lake Headlight, Houston Post, Houston Chronicle or New York Times.