ORANGE — If you find yourself in the position of having to find a unique gift for a friend or loved one, or just want to treat yourself, a new store has opened in Orange that will not only meet those needs but will also help maintain an historic part of the community.
The Parlor, located inside the First Universalist Church, opened its doors for the first time on Monday, Sept. 8. Located at 31 North Main St., The Parlor will be open every Monday afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m.
The church was constructed in 1858 and, at nearly 170 years old, covering the ever-increasing costs related to upkeep can be daunting. Church member Krissy Dorn is credited with coming up with the idea of turning the church’s ladies’ parlor into a gift shop as one way of raising money for the building’s maintenance. According to an announcement about the store’s opening, Dorn, with the help of family members Hans Rickheit and Ripley Dorn, spent the summer transforming the room into a quaint shop stocked with a wide variety of items donated by members of the church.
Longtime congregation member Janice Lanou explained that the ladies’ parlor was actually added to the original structure. She said the need for funding to maintain the church has been growing by the year.
“For the past few years,” Krissy Dorn said, “it has been at least one issue every year. This year, it’s the insurance company wanting us to update our electrical system. It’s mostly modern, but there’s still enough of the old knob-and-tube for them to be concerned. It’s around $12,500 to do the work, and that’s about what we spend every year just to insure the building.”
In recent years, she added, the boiler was replaced at a cost of $15,000 or more, and repairs were made to portions of the roof, but more work will be needed.
Krissy Dorn said the gift shop will supplement other fundraising efforts that take place throughout the year.
“In addition to our Unity Club,” she said, “we have our Christmas Fair, we have a tag sale. This will be something more permanent that’s going year-round. It will provide a steady trickle of income to help support our needs.”
In its heyday, the church boasted about 200 members. Now, with only about two dozen active congregants, it is impossible to cover the cost of maintenance with weekly offerings.
In addition to a curated selection of clothing, the gift shop’s wide array of offerings includes cards, houseplants, artwork, books, CDs, dish sets, jewelry and knickknacks. In addition to providing local shoppers with another option, The Parlor will also give area residents another place to meet friends and neighbors, and share local news. The store will offer coffee and homemade cookies, “along with comfortable seating for people to sit and peruse the books or CDs, or just relax and chat,” according to its founders.