Jan 2, 2011 By Janelle Sheetz For The 3 min read

LEISENRING – The former company store owned by H.C. Frick Coal Co. back in coal’s heyday in Fayette County has been transformed into the Leisenring General Store.

The store’s new owners, Ken and Bonnie Lindsay, are hoping the reopening will benefit the community and allow the people of Leisenring to be able to shop closer to home.

“A store needs to come into this community,” Bonnie Lindsay said.

Most of the store’s customers and employees are from the Leisenring area.

“Everybody’s usually from around here,” employee and granddaughter of Ken, Kaytee Cumberland, said.

“People go by and just give us the thumbs-up,” Bonnie said. That happened as the couple began remodeling the building in early fall.

The enthusiastic reaction was coming from Leisenring residents of all ages. One young boy told them in the fall that he was looking forward to buying candy from them, while an older couple had their picture taken in front of the newly renovated store.

The enthusiasm continued after the store’s September opening.

“People thought it was awesome that it’s back open,” employee Charlene Lewis said. “It’s a landmark.”

Lewis and Cumberland have spoken with older Leisenring residents, reminiscing about the original store, such as a man who asked to see if the store’s original elevator still worked and a woman who used to work as a cashier.

Ken and Bonnie had been looking for an opportunity to start a business, and found that opportunity in the store. They use the store as both a convenience store and a deli, featuring some groceries and fresh food, including sandwiches and pizza.

The store has been a part of Leisenring since the late 1800s, when the small town was first built as a coal mining patch.

It served the miners and their families, with the miners being paid a form of currency that could only be used in the store. While it was still functional for some time after the mines officially closed by 1960, it has been out of business for the last several years and has been sitting vacant. The new store features pictures of the original one, along with a brief explanation of the store’s history.

“It was really falling apart,” Bonnie said. “It was a mess before.”

Bonnie and Ken went to the store daily to work on repairs, which began in April. The store needed new siding, windows, doors and drywall. Some painting was also required, and holes in the floor had to be repaired.