Woodstock ABC Store

Text

In a 1966 referendum the residents of Woodstock voted to allow the Virginia ABC Board to open a liquor store in town. This was the third attempt by residents to get this approval. Two previous referendums, one in 1958 and one in 1962 had failed by 15 votes and a single vote respectively.

Virginia law required towns with populations over 1000 persons to hold such a referendum before any liquor could be sold in the community. Obviously many residents strongly opposed the opening of such a store, even though Woodstock had been one of the last towns to vote to go dry in the first decade of the 20th century. These opponents often cited the immoral practices associated with overindulgence as a reason to prevent a store from opening.

Some individuals who supported the store felt strongly that those who lead the opposition were the ones who made money by illegally selling alcohol transported from other parts of the state.

The Woodstock ABC store would open in 1968 in the Woodstock Shopping Center on the north end of the town. It proved to be a success . It remains open and moved to a larger site in the south end shopping center in 2014.