Rosemary Rose Finery to join Main Street retail lineup

MILLERTON — A new chapter is coming to the former BES retail space on Main Street, where vintage jewelry dealer and herbalist Jessica Rose Lee will open Rosemary Rose Finery this spring after spending the last several years with a storefront in Salisbury, Connecticut.

Set to open May 1, the new shop will bring together Lee’s curated collection of vintage and estate jewelry, apothecary and wellness goods, and a continued lineup of craft workshops led by artist and screen printer Meg Musgrove, who built a following through classes she led at BES.

The partnership grew out of Rural Co-Lab, a women’s business group connecting entrepreneurs across the tri-corner region. Though Lee and Musgrove did not know each other well before, both said the collaboration came together quickly — and felt right.

“I really didn’t have much intention of looking for another space,” Lee said. “But it just felt cosmically aligned. Millerton felt right to me, the space felt right, and having Meg here to continue the classes felt right.”

For Musgrove, the chance to preserve the workshop side of the former BES space was important. The classes had begun building a loyal following, she said, and she hated the idea of losing that creative community.

“It just felt like an unfinished dream,” Musgrove said. “We were really starting to have people come back and I would have hated to lose that.”

Together, the two women said they hope to create more than a retail shop. They envision a welcoming, eclectic space centered on beauty, creativity and connection.

“It’s not a time to be a lone wolf,” Lee said. “It’s a time to be in community and be with one another.”

Musgrove’s workshops will remain a key part of that vision. In addition to coordinating classes, she plans to offer a small selection of art materials, kits, textiles and locally made goods that were previously available at BES.

One of the unexpected joys of the workshops, Musgrove said, has been the way they bring together women and girls across generations.

“Sometimes there are teenagers and people in their 70s in the same class,” she said. “That kind of intergenerational chatter is just magical.”

An herbalist by training, Lee said she often incorporates plant-based products, candles and cleaning practices into the atmosphere of her store, where she wants customers to feel both inspired and at ease.

“Everything holds energy,” she said. “With jewelry, if it holds a certain person’s energy, it’s really important to clean it. I want it to feel high-vibrational.”

Lee said she is drawn to old things not only for their craftsmanship, but for the stories and spirit they carry. Her inventory includes estate and vintage pieces, fine jewelry, and select items sourced through travel and long-standing relationships, including regular trips to New Mexico and the United Kingdom.

Lee, who also operates out of an old VW bus-turned studio on her property when not in her store, said her heart is in vintage pieces.

“I just really enjoy being around them and want to bring them new life and give them a new home.”

The larger Millerton space will also allow Lee to expand into custom design, repair services, and herbal education workshops — something she had limited room for in Salisbury, where she said classes were squeezed into the middle of the jewelry store.

Now, she said, Rosemary Rose Finery will have room to grow into a bigger version of itself.

A grand opening celebration is planned for opening weekend, with food, drinks and an open invitation to the community.

For Lee and Musgrove, the new shop is not only a business venture, but an experiment in shared space and mutual support — an idea they believe feels especially timely.

“The possibilities feel endless,” Lee said. “It feels like we can create whatever we want here.”