Nestled in between Douglas fir, redwood and oak trees along Tripp Road lies the Woodside Store. A popular field trip for local schools, the restored one-story wooden structure offers a hands-on interactive program and artifacts for discovering California’s rich history. And, with free admission, anyone can visit the site to soak up the atmosphere of Peninsula country life in the 1880s. The original Woodside Store was built by Matthias Alfred Parkhurst and Dr. Robert Orville Tripp, the street’s namesake, to provide supplies to settlers and woodsmen in the area. After the first store burned down in 1854, the business partners built the existing building, which became a public gathering place that the community utilized on a daily basis. In addition to providing essential goods and Dr. Tripp’s dental services, Woodside Store also functioned as a stagecoach stop, a lending library, bank and post office. Parkhurst died in 1863, and Tripp and his family continued to run the store until Tripp’s passing in 1909. The County of San Mateo purchased Woodside Store in 1940 and it was listed as a State Registered Landmark in 1949. In 1994, the County completed the restoration of Woodside Store, returning it to its late 19th-century appearance. For anyone seeking an even more immersive experience, once a year on the first Sunday in May, the site hosts “Old Woodside Store Day,” when visitors participate in old-time activities and craft-making. See parks.smcgov.org/woodside-store for current visiting hours.
