business

New owners at former Terni’s hope to become Main St. staple

New owners at former Terni’s hope to become Main St. staple

Terni’s General Store, located at 42 Main St., was founded in 1919 by Leopoldo “Paul” Terni. The location now is the site of the Dutchess Trading Co.

File photo

MILLERTON — On Thursday, July 4, The Dutchess Trading Co. hosted a soft opening in the former Terni’s General Store.

“We had the full range of reactions, people saying ‘Oh, I love the store,’ not knowing the story, and people who were almost emotional and crying,” said Jason Jobson, one of The Dutchess Trading Co. partners.

The new business has three partners: Jason Jobson, Christophe Pourny, and Richard Lambertson, all residents of Sharon. They have been working together for two years to prepare the building for the community.

“There was a lot to do,” Jobson said. “We had to rebuild the foundation and do a lot of structural stuff. We bought the building two years ago and it’s been a labor of love.”

Terni’s General Store was founded in 1919 by Leopoldo “Paul” Terni. Paul suddenly passed away in 1927, and his wife, Assunta, took over the store with their two sons, Arthur and Stephen. The business remained in the family with Arthur’s son, Phil, taking over in 1971 and worked until he retired in 2020, later passing away in March.

“We love the building,” Jobson said. “Christophe and I are antique restorers in New York City. That is really why we fell in love with the building.”

The three partners have been considering the building’s history when renovating and restoring what was found inside. Jobson said that some people were worried that they may “gut the place” and modernize it.

“We tried to keep as much as we could,” Jobson said. “We took many layers of paint off one of the rooms but kept the floorboards and really tried to keep the spirit of what it felt like in there and honor the legacy of what it was.”

Above the store is a seven-bedroom home that has not been renovated yet, where the Terni family lived. Jobson said that the space has a lot of potential and is looking into options to support the community.

“We’d love to eventually see it as a part of the community, maybe like a doctor’s office or something that the town would need, and we could provide that for them,” Jobson said.

The Dutchess Trading Co. sells homemade tonics and waxes alongside a selection of household goods. The store is open Friday through Monday, but the partners hope to expand its hours to be involved with the community every day of the week.

“Hopefully we will become a staple here,” Jobson said. “Hopefully people will talk about us like they did for Terni’s.”

business

Latest News

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.

I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.

Keep ReadingShow less
bike route

Biking Ancramdale to Copake

Biking Ancramdale to Copake

This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete.It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.

Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.

Keep ReadingShow less
bike route

North East town records brought into the digital age

North East town records brought into the digital age

Chris Virtuoso reorganized parcel records in the North East Town Hall basement by parcel number during the process of scanning and digitizing the documents.

Photo by Grace DeMarco

MILLERTON — Within the walls of the two-story Victorian housing the North East Town Hall lies a room-full of town records dating back to the late 19th century. Stored in labeled cardboard boxes and protected by dehumidifiers, the records are in the process of being dated, organized, and scanned into categorized online programs.

As the Town Hall works to relocate to 5603 Route 22 at the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness, the consolidation and digitalization of records, as well as the disposal of those unneeded, is a time-sensitive project. Marcy Wheatley, the Deputy Town Clerk, emphasized their current heavy focus on organizing and scanning. “Now, when we move, we can get rid of a lot,” Wheatley stated.

Keep ReadingShow less

Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Nora Garcia, 6, of Millerton, bottom right, gets a face painting treatment from Maddy Rowe, a Webutuck High School senior. Nora’s sister, Juliana, 8, top right, is decorated by Giana Kall, a Webutuck senior. The program was sponsored by the Webutuck PTA.

Photo by John Coston

Correction: the Millerton News Street Fair was a collaborative effort between the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and the North East Community Center.

MILLERTON — Locals and visitors packed into downtown Millerton Saturday, June 28, for the first ever Millerton Street Fair hosted by the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and the North East Community Center. Representatives from local nonprofits, businesses along Main Street, Bee Bee the Clown and face painters from Webutuck High School drew in crowds all afternoon.

Keep ReadingShow less