Wehunt’s Store in Brookhaven

Wehunt’s Store was possibly the first grocery store in Brookhaven somewhere around 1919 to 1922.

This blog post includes the various bits of information I have found about Wehunt’s Store and it is not much. I hope to discover more history and possibly a photo to share in the future.

According to history written down by Mrs. W. A. Willig in 1976, placed in the Brookhaven Library, and shared with DeKalb History Center, the first grocery store in Brookhaven was Wehunt’s. Mrs. C. B. Ray shared her memories of Wehunt’s with Mrs. Willig. The store was owned by Mrs. Ray’s father W. J. Wehunt. Ray said there were just three establishments in Brookhaven at the timeWehunt’s, the post office and Wals (spelling?) Drug Store.

In the same history document by Mrs. Willig, she shares that the Stokes and Wehunt families were early customers of Wright Dairy in Brookhaven.

I do not have the first names of Mrs. Willig or Mrs. Ray, because of the customs of that time.

The history of Brookhaven Baptist Church indicates the church first met at W. J. Wehunt store in 1922. Reverend Burdett and Reverend George P. Donaldson organized the church.

In 1932, some events of the Brookhaven Baptist Church took place place at the home of W. J. Wehunt on Fernwood Drive. The Sunday School class has met at the Wehunt home according to the “Brookhaven News of Interest” in the Society section of the Dec. 8, 1932, Atlanta Constitution.

From DeKalb History Center archives, The Brookhaven Baptist Church was established in the back of Mrs. Cheek’s father’s store, W. J. Wehunt. It was on Peachtree Road and Dresden Drive in 1919.

Please write me at pasttensega@gmail.com if you are familiar with the history of Wehunt’s Store. Even if you don’t remember it, if your parents or grandparents shared stories about the store, please email me so I can share with others.