The Derby General Store and Farm Stand

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The community of Derby, near Ellerbe in Richmond County, was named for Roger Derby, a Harvard graduate who came to the Sandhills in 1911 to try his hand at farming.  He purchased 2,780 acres of land and established a large farm to raise cattle and crops including peaches, corn, peanuts and cotton.

Interested in farming, business and education, Roger Derby built a school, established the Sand Hill Farmers Association, Sand Hill Board of Trade and made significant contributions toward developing the area.

In 1926, Roger Derby returned to New York, and Herbert R. and Mildred Currie purchased the farm and continued raising peaches and other crops.  In 1928 they added Currie's Store that sold feed, seed, groceries, clothes, hardware, dynamite, chain saws and just about everything anyone locally needed. They even had the first Oliver tractor dealership in the area.

Stepping through the screen doors today, you are transported to a simpler time. Peaches, strawberries, melons and other fresh produce are displayed in baskets, wagons and on counters. Throughout the store you'll see a variety of jellies, jams, ciders, sauces, relishes and an old-fashioned candy counter. Every nook and cranny holds treasures such as vintage clothes, furniture, tools, a decorated Christmas tree and memorabilia handed down through the years to tell the story of this family farm.

The Curries' legacy is Triple L Farms, a fifth generation family farm. Currie grandsons Jim and Joe Lambeth run it today.

Triple L Farms store and stand are open during the spring and summer months, seven days a week. This year they have a story-telling series: "Know Thyself: From Whence We've Come." So if you are down this way, stop in for a cone of fresh peach ice cream or a grape Nehi and sit a spell. The location is 2205 Derby Rd., Ellerbe, NC 28338. Visit derbystand.com

—Kay Fetner