ASHE COUNTY, N.C. — Matthew Connell is still working hard to clean up pieces of wood he found after a fire broke out a year ago at the Todd General Store. He dug through debris and saved every piece.

"Hit this with a power washer and run through a planer," Connell said.

What You Need To Know

  • The Todd General Store caught fire a year ago

  • The owners have been working to keep and restore every piece of history they can find

  • They have not started to rebuild yet but have big plans

When the store takes its new form, it will have the old wood to keep it alive.

"After the fire, some people felt like the store was gone. I know what they meant, that makes sense, but I did not," Connell said.

After the fire, metal and wood covered a large area. It's now empty except for a 250-square-foot room. The original part of the building never fell.

Related: Todd General Store owners need help after fire

He hasn't started building yet but has big plans. He wants to make the remaining structure a little better and make a large space around it where people can come play music, read poetry and find community.

"I think trying to have a reason to come together ... I think the idea of a general store has changed a lot," Connell said.

He has saved every piece of flooring and stored it to rebuild.

"It will be if the floor could tell a story, it will be the one you put on it yourself," Connell said. "We're coming back, we're definitely coming back. I mean, we have not left, we have not gone," Connell said.