Some know it as the Bath General Store; others may remember it as Brooks’. Still others might recall the store’s origins in Bayview, next to a dance hall called J.K.’s. But this week represents the end of an era, as the grocery store, a mainstay of the Bath Community—a place where first jobs came easy, store credit was still offered, where members of the small community came to visit and find out what was going on their town— will close its doors this week.

According to owners Trisha Moore and Scott Brown, it will likely not open again. Brown and Moore cite the double hit of a flagging economy and a changing community dynamic — less people visiting second homes over the past several years—but it was a bigger threat that pushed them toward the decision to close their small business: Family Dollar.

“That kind of broke our backs,” Brown said. “When we saw them break ground that day, we thought ‘that was it.’”

A Family Dollar store is in the beginning stages of construction across the street, perhaps 100 yards up the road from the Bath General Store, which is close enough to scare away anyone considering taking over, he said.

“Once potential buyers got wind of Family Dollar, they lost interest,” Brown said.

Throughout the day Wednesday, a steady stream of locals made their way through the store, many shaking their heads, commiserating, all of which were on a first-name basis with the store’s owners. It’s that sense of community that will be the real loss for Bath, Moore said.

“We’re going to lose a little community center,” Moore said. “When you come to this store, you expect to see people you know … It was a place to visit. It’s not a ‘come in and get your groceries and leave’ kind of place.”

And it never was, she said. Roy Brooks originally opened the store in 1952; in 1972, he expanded and moved to the current location. Moore, who is originally from Bath, and Brown have owned the business for four years. During their tenure, they made a point of selling local produce, buying fresh eggs gathered by neighborhood boys; selling vegetables grown in gardens around Bath, many of which were given to the store owners as a show of support for the independent grocery.

“You can’t find that kind of support,” Moore said. “We thank all the people who came to our store and supported us. They stood with us.”

The Bath General Store will be open the remainder of the week: all inventory is 40 percent off, with the exceptions of alcohol and cigarettes.