How it’s going…
Remember when I told you I was crazy enough to buy a building with no plan? Well, that didn’t last long. During the buying process, I began to research the history of our 1830s building, looking at what it had been over the past two hundred years. Eager for answers and inspiration. If you look at Our History, you will see the timeline beginning in 1830 as Sand Lake’s first Post Office and General Store owned by A.E. Horton and run by Franklin Averill, whose family Averill Park is named after. From there, the Nash family operated the General Store until the mid-1900s. Today, many individuals in our town will remember shopping at Jill’s Hidden Garden for flowers, the Country Token, or, more recently, Park Place for antiques.
All that it had been will inspire all that it will be when we open our doors as Sand Lake Merchant this summer!
We will honor the history of the building not only in our renovations but also in our business plan. The first floor of our 4,000 square foot building will operate as a general store inclusive of gelato imported from Italy, a small specialty market with local meat and fresh produce, and a gift shop filled with locally made and sourced goods ranging from apothecary to jewelry to candles and more! We have an amazing florist moving in with us as well to offer fresh flower bouquets, plants, and seasonal products. The back of our first floor will feature a coffee shop that is already well-known and loved in this town!
Set in the heart of town, our goal is to serve as a community meeting and gathering space that welcomes all to enjoy and celebrate what our town has to offer.
This Fall, our second floor will be available for events such as Paint & Sips, Paint & Scoops (of gelato), and vendor workshops. In addition, the ability to rent our space for celebrations of your own will also be a great opportunity!
Nearly one year after beginning our renovation and plan, we are getting ready to open our doors to you this summer!
Thanks for coming on this journey with us.
