Gil’s Grocery is a living history of Topsfield. A glance through the comments on the Gil’s Grocery Facebook page reads like a perpetual “thank you” card to Elbridge “Gilly” Gilford III, the man who opened the store 1946, and to his family who still own and operate this town treasure.

Jim Gilford, Elbridge’s son, shares the story of Main Street Topsfield’s well-loved institution.

“My dad got out of the service in 1946 and wanted to start a store. He had worked in a grocery store when he was in high school. The first store was in a rented space where the Institution for Savings is now.”

 

Elbridge married Grace, a native of Newfoundland, in 1950, and the couple had three children: James, Marsha, and Polly. When Elbridge needed to move the store’s location, he purchased a house in a nearby field and renovated the building to suit the needs of the grocery. 
 
 “My dad eventually sold the land the house sat on, and the shopping center was built around the house. Later, he moved the store to the corner where it sits now,” Jim says.

 

Originally, Gil’s Grocery was a fully stocked grocery store, and the town’s children were among the regulars, stopping by on their way home from school to buy penny candy. Gil’s Grocery also served as a meeting place for the town’s young newspaper carriers, who picked up their bundles at Gil’s and set off to deliver over 500 papers to Topsfield homes.  

 

As supermarkets gained popularity, Gil’s Grocery changed with the times. The store’s wooden door and the floor dotted with multi-color tiles remain, preserving the nostalgia of days gone by. However, nowadays, Gil’s serves the Topsfield community with the practicality of a convenience store and the heart of a country market – with some surprise luxury items.

 

“Our regulars stop by for newspapers, tobacco, lottery tickets, and other convenience needs,” Jim says. “But we also carry locally made specialty items like milk, ice cream, maple syrup, and honey.”

 

And, says Jim, the store features two cigar humidors.

 

“Being a cigar smoker myself, back in 1989, I bought one or two boxes of high-grade cigars, and they sold. When the cigar boom took off in 1990, I kept adding stock.”

 More recent additions to the store include beer and wine selections. 
 
 “Since 1930, Topsfield had been a ‘dry’ town,” Jim says. “When that changed, I got a license to sell beer and wine. I can place special orders and try to bring in hard-to-get items. Recently, we had a limited stock of Heady Topper, a popular and hard-to-get beer from Alchemist Brewery in Stowe, Vermont.”

 

Today, Gil’s Grocery is owned and operated by members of the Gilford family, with Jim Gilford at the helm. 
 
 “I started working in the store when I was 13, but didn’t go on payroll until 15,” Jim laughs.  “I became the owner in 1986, but Dad continued to work alongside me until he was 95 ½ years old.”

 

Jim’s sisters Marsha and Polly also grew up working at the store, and both women still help out. Marsha is a retired schoolteacher and comes in two times a week, and Polly works alongside James five days a week. Next generations have put their imprint on the store: James’s nieces Jennifer and Heather are among those who have worked at the store (Heather still helps out), and Jennifer’s two sons are among the younger relatives learning the ropes while serving the community.

 

On Gil’s Grocery's Facebook page, Jennifer posts photos from the past and present, a tribute to “Gracie and Gil,” the couple who touched so many lives through their small-town store. The comments from neighbors are a testament to the couple and their well-lived lives:

 

“Your mom and dad were the sweetest people,” “Lots of childhood memories in that store,” and “Thank you, Mr. Gil.”

After school, children still stop by Gil’s Grocery to buy candy, same as the kids back in 1950s Topsfield. And Jim and his family continue to welcome their neighbors and invite those new to Topsfield to become the next generation of Gil’s Grocery regulars.