Historical Society to open gift shop at Kingsley-Jenter house

A sample of some of the items that will be available at the Manchester Area Historical Society gift shop, beginning Dec. 1 during Christmas in the Village. Photo courtesy MAHS.

Need a special holiday gift for the history lover in your family? Something unique (and not plastic or electronic) to give your kids or grandchildren? Or are you wondering where to find a special Manchester-style decoration to send to an out-of-town friend who loves our community as much as you do?

Starting in just a few weeks, you will need look no further than the new gift shop operated by the Manchester Area Historical Society and located in the Kingsley-Jenter (K-J) House at 302 W. Main Street.

The grand opening of this as-yet-unnamed store will be on Saturday, December 1. The shop will be open primarily during major local events such as Christmas in the Village, Third Thursdays, Chicken Broil, and other special occasions. But visitors to the K-J House as well as those who are attending events or meetings at the house will also have an opportunity to peruse the merchandise that is being offered and, if interested, can contact a member of MAHS to purchase those items.

Liz Polk, one of the four MAHS members who is currently serving on the gift shop committee, shared that the idea is a fairly recent one that developed quickly over the past couple of months. The gift nook will be located in the main room of the K-J House, to your left as you enter through the front door. At this time, a number of holiday ornaments, locally-made and hand-crafted items, and wooden toys, games, and household goods will be offered for sale, with more items added regularly. In addition, MAHS-published books, calendars, and other historic artifacts will be for sale in the shop.

“We definitely plan to have some blacksmith-produced items for sale in the future,” Polk said. “And we are looking to add a number of heritage crafts to our shop as time goes on.”

Eventually, Polk hopes that the shop will also sell historically-themed artwork made by local artisans.

Stop in and see what novelty items the store can offer that will help fill out your holiday gift list!

The Kingsley-Jenter House.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.