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reportedly picked it because the shape
of the land his church was built on, in
1873, looked like a diamond to him.
The Brodts picked up the name from
the nearby church, and the county
followed suit when they named the
road that runs by the store. It is on a
main road to Roanoke from the area,
according to Carl.
Diamond Hill General Store has just
kept growing under the ownership of
Carl and Christine. The back porch was
enclosed to make room for gifts offered
for sale, and the Gas pumps were
added about 12 years ago, along with
the addition of the present convenience
store. They began serving beer and
wine at the store in about 2002, when
they added an outdoor deck with tables.
The Garden Center was opened on
22 April 2001, by Christine’s brother,
Robert Matzuga. And, in recent years
the family bought a small parcel of
land across the road, which originally
was part of the Debo’s store property,
where they are growing some stock for
the nursery and they have several small
buildings, a stone yard and mulch.
Carl brought a piece of his old
neighborhood in Long Island with
him. Well, actually he brought down a
picture of a cigar store wooden Indian
that was in St James General Store near
his old neighborhood, and the Yankee
Whittler carved a duplicate for the
Moneta store.
“We have sold a lot of his carvings
over the years,” Carl said, adding that
after he copied the wooden Indian in
the picture he carved two others. The
carvings are for sale but have become
so familiar to visitors to the store it
might be hard to part with them when a
buyer comes along.
Beyond the deli, which is just inside
the front door, there is seating for about
15 to 18 people along with a couple of
cushioned wicker chairs, where you’ll
find yourself surrounded by wines,
primarily from Virginia, as well as
from all over the world. It’s a cozy,
homey atmosphere where, we’re told,
the political discussions occasionally
mingle with the wine tasting, which
can be a lively combination.
Discover Smith Mountain Lake
Spring 2014
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