CHARLEMONT — Those interested in owning a piece of the town’s history should check out the sign outside Avery’s General Store.

The 127 Main St. property that houses the historic store has been listed for sale at $560,000. The general store isn’t going anywhere and will remain under the control of current owner David Kong, but the 2,530-square-foot residential space above the shop is up for grabs, said real estate agent Jocelyn O’Shea. The 1835 building includes four bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living rooms, a kitchen and dining room, a laundry room and porch, as well as an unrenovated third floor and attic space with a few original details still visible.

“It has a lot of cool features from yesteryear,” O’Shea said. “There’s a dumbwaiter. I’m not sure if it still works, but it’s there.”

O’Shea said the second-floor residence covers the entire footprint of the building, describing it as a large space that could be great for a family or converted into smaller apartments.

“It’s a pretty big space. Someone could put two apartments in there if they could figure out egress,” O’Shea said.

Kong purchased the property in 2019 for $250,000. He said when he bought the building six years ago, the second-floor residence was only partially renovated. He added a second bathroom and wiring to bring electricity throughout the entirety of that floor. He has not touched the third floor, which contains remnants of past owners, such as posters from the 1900s.

“If you want to see history, it’s right here,” Kong said.

He said the third floor could be a good project for someone with the time, energy and money to renovate it. It currently has nine rooms that could be converted into apartments. While the building is not on a historic register, it is more than 200 years old, and there may be historic preservation or housing grants available.

Kong said the space is too big for just him, but it could be great for a young family. He added that he would like to put the money from the sale toward renovating a property he bought elsewhere in town.

Kong plans to continue operating the general store under a lease with the new owner, but he hopes whoever buys the building might be open to the idea of taking over the store in a few years. Buying a house and a business at the same can be overwhelming and a difficult pitch for a seller, so Kong and O’Shea decided to focus on the building and highlight its residential potential for now.

“The first floor, no matter what, is going to be the same,” Kong said.

Kong said it is a lot of work and responsibility to run the business, and he wants to make sure whoever takes over the space after him is ready. A lot of the town’s older residents rely on the general store for their groceries, and whoever comes after Kong will need to maintain the same level of service residents have come to expect.

He hopes whoever purchases the building is interested in living in it and running the store, but he is open to working with the new owner to find a new manager for the store and teach them the ropes to ensure it stays open.

“I will say, if a young couple wants to run it, that’d be perfect,” Kong said. “I just want to make sure it goes to a good person.”

O’Shea said anyone who is interested in the property can contact her at jocelyn@cbcommunityrealtors.com or visit jocelynoshea.com.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.