HO Scale Octave Fontenot Grocery Store Model Railroad Diorama

Octave Fontenot neighborhood grocery, custom built from cardstock for school or history project, display, model railroad, or diorama. Measures 5.5 inches wide by 6.5 inches long by 3 inches tall. A unique item, hand built upon receiving your order. Shipped with USPS First Class. I am dedicating this model to the memory of the late Leo Palitti. He and his wife Lori were going to model this store or one just like it for his Black Bear and Bayou Railroad layout when cancer took his life several years ago.

Neighborhood grocery stores used to be a common sight in small towns and neighborhoods across Louisiana, Texas, and elsewhere up through the 1970s. Many of them looked just like this one – white clapboard with a full width porch and false front, metal roof, and the name of the store on a sign that advertised Coca-Coca, Pepsi, and other beverages. They were often run by a single owner or family, who also lived in the back of the store.

More than just a place to buy groceries, they were a meeting place for the people who lived nearby. They provided an opportunity to visit, catch up on the latest news, maybe even play a game of checkers. I can remember my mom purchasing fresh meat and other staples at a grocery store near the home where I grew up; we would also drive out the truck farm to pick up fresh corn and okra.

The rise of chain convenience stores and big box grocery stores began to squeeze out these local grocery stores starting in the 1960s. Today, very few remain, but this one, the Octave Fontenot grocery store, can still be found on the north side of Opelousas, Louisiana. The exact age of this store is not known; but it appears to still be in the same family.