Mesopotamia – End of the Commons General Store has commissioned Mr. Bob Anderson, a Rock Creek, Ohio artist, to create a chainsaw carving. The carving will be done in a 300-year old oak tree trunk that stands 15’ tall located at the End of the Commons General Store in Mesopotamia, Ohio. The focal point of the carving will be representative of the early settlers of Mesopotamia, Ohio. The carving will be created using chain saws and detailed with small hand tools. The carving will take place over 2 weekends consisting of Friday, May 17, Saturday, May 18, Sunday, May 19 & Friday, May 24, and completed Saturday May 25. The public is invited to view the work in progress.
Master carver Bob Anderson grew up in Northeast Ohio and has spent much time since age 5 whittling and carving with knives. Currently Mr. Anderson is a carpenter by trade and wood carving is his hobby. Bob learned the art of chainsaw carving in the last few years and has worked on other smaller sculptures in the area. This will be the largest and most detailed of all his sculptures. Bob plans to utilize 4 to 5 chain saws of various sizes and lengths along with hand rotary tools such as dremels and sanders for specific detail.
The artistic creation, all carved by chainsaw in oak, will be a centerpiece at End of the Commons General Store located at 8719 State Route 534 in Mesopotamia, Ohio 44439. There is no fee to see the carving and the public is invited to watch the work in progress. The store is open Monday – Friday 8:30am – 8:30pm, Saturday 8:30am – 6:00pm. Normally the store is closed on Sunday; however, during the carving the store will be open Sunday May 19th from noon – 5:00pm.
End of the Commons General Store is Ohio’s oldest general store located 45 minutes east of Cleveland, in the scenic Amish community of Mesopotamia, Ohio where Geauga, Ashtabula & Trumbull counties meet. End of the Commons General Store has been continuously run as an old fashioned general store for over 170 years! The store is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the oldest operating general stores in the United States. Kenneth & Margaret Schaden purchased the store in 1982 and the Schaden family continues to run the business today.
Today, the 15,000 square foot retail store is lined with antiques which date back to the early 1800’s. A visit to the general store is reminiscent of days gone by; one will find a treasure trove of old fashioned goods, hard-to-find kitchen gadgets and an antique collection that is certain to bring back fond memories of childhood. During the summer months one may find the owners’ car collection dating from 1916 parked outside. Take a journey back into yesteryear and visit this unique general store and the quiet surroundings of Amish country.
