This Coastal Connection is sponsored by Baths by Spicer Bros.
GEORGETOWN, Del. — What began as a one-room schoolhouse in the 1890s has evolved over the decades into Wilson’s General Store, a beloved community hub and Delaware’s oldest deli.
Wilson’s General Store, tucked in rural Georgetown, was converted into a country store in the 1930s by Marshall Wilson. His son, Jim Wilson, later took over in the 1970s, continuing to run the store for decades and helping build what locals call “a culture.”
“Jim had this store for 80-plus years, him and his father, and they built quite a culture,” said current co-owner Tim Cumpston, who, along with Laura Berberich, purchased the store a few years ago.
“We just built on that base. But that culture has been here for many, many generations.”
Jim Wilson still stops by most days, and Cumpston says he remains the heart of the place, calling Wilson “the Grand Marshal.”
Locals remember when Wilson’s sold everything from sandwiches to firearms, all in a single visit.
“We bought our guns and ammunition under Jim Wilson,” one longtime customer recalled. “He made a lot of money off of us.”
Today, Wilson’s operates mostly as a sandwich shop and is widely considered the oldest deli in Delaware. Customers rave about the food - and the atmosphere.
Wilson’s General Store in Georgetown has transformed from a 19th-century schoolhouse into what many call the oldest deli in the state, serving up sandwiches, stories and a strong sense of community.
“Once you try it, you won’t go to McDonald’s or Hardee’s,” said Joe Pete, a local regular who claims he bought the first sandwich when Wilson’s re-opened. He even has one named after him: the “Joe Pete,” a scrapple-and-egg sandwich on toast.
Pete and his friends gather at the store nearly every morning.
Wilson’s General Store in Georgetown has transformed from a 19th-century schoolhouse into what many call the oldest deli in the state, serving up sandwiches, stories and a strong sense of community.
“It’s horrible how things are,” he said. “But you come to Wilson’s store, you get cheered up. We come out with a positive attitude.”
That sense of community is what keeps people coming back.
“We have a lot of the same locals,” Cumpston said. “They’re part of the Wilson family. And we’re proud to have them here.”
For many, Wilson’s isn’t just a store, it’s a piece of living Delaware history.