VERMONT Magazine Holiday 2022 | Page 34

One of a Kind
shown to her by the original owners of the building that she once rented — and now owns .
Baker says that when Bob and Elaine Reed bought the property that now houses Sharon ’ s on the Common back in the early 1990s , the building was literally falling down . “ The property has two buildings : a white colonial building in the front , and the red building where my shop is located in the back . The Reeds bought the property at foreclosure . They did their best to redo the building , because they wanted to turn it into an art gallery . They completely restructured the inside and interior of the building .”
After running Sharon ’ s on the Common for twelve years , Baker arrived at a financial position where she was able to purchase the property from the Reeds in 2022 . “ I put a deal together to buy the building , and before I closed on the property , I hired a wonderful contractor in town to help with the facelift .” The exterior of the building was refurbished and painted red with black trim , and black shutters on the upper windows were added as a finishing touch . “ The building stands out in a stunning way now . It was hard to get people to walk down the alley to visit the shop before , but more people have started to come in , because it ’ s so attractive .”
As a result of Baker ’ s community-minded business approach , the white building now hosts five viable businesses , including Sage Jewelry & Gifts ( which has its own entrance ), Chester Candy , Little Art Supply Store , The Hugging Bear teddy bear shop , and a CBD shop , Down To The Roots . “ I charge minimal rent rates for the businesses that occupy those spaces ,” says Baker . “ I want to give the owners a fighting chance .”
Baker has also taken it upon herself to host a series of pop-up events , which showcase the works of local artisans and craftspeople . “ I primarily sell shawls , scarves , and clothing at Sharon ’ s on the Common , but I also sell pottery and wooden bowls made by local artisans , such as Brooks Heley and Joe Langton .” Baker ’ s fruitful interactions with local craftspeople served as the original inspiration for the “ Artisan ’ s Alley ” event series in 2019 , which was the precursor to the current event series .
“ I talked with the zoning administrator here in town and asked him if it would be alright to run a small market event on the side of my red building . I told him photo : Dwelling Photography
682 Blackmer Boulevard • Stockbridge , VT ( 802 ) 234-5720 • madmoosearchitecture . com
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