Tollhouse Shop a place for new and old memories alike

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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter

In November of 2006 the Wellesley Historical Society added a new addition to its myriad of offerings: a shop. The Tollhouse Shop is a collection of gently used items for sale, the profits of which go towards supporting the Society.

“I’m not sure how they came up with the idea, but they took over this room,” Erica Dumont, the current Executive Director, shared. “This room used to be a sort of 1820s parlor, and they started using this room as a shop to raise money for the society.” All of the items for sale are donations, and Dumont stresses that nothing for sale is a part of the Society’s historical collection. “At the beginning they did a lot of work with ‘It’s Your Move.’ They’re an organizational company - they help their clients figure out what they want to keep and what they want to get rid of - so they’ll call us and say: ‘We have this massive amount of stuff that someone wants to donate,’” she explained.

Donations are accepted during Tollhouse Shop open hours and by appointment. The shop takes a variety of items, including glassware, dishes, and some jewelry. “If it’s in good condition, then we’ll take it,” Dumont said. “Also if it fits here. We don’t have a lot of space, so we don’t have furniture.”

During the summer, the shop is open on Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Volunteers, like Robin Gaynor, run the shop. Gaynor is a Wellesley resident and has been volunteering since 2011. “Very often people come in and see things that are tied to a past memory,” Gaynor shared. “Like, my mother had this China, or my grandmother enjoyed having tea in this, and you just really get the feeling that people appreciate the items.”

The shop holds sales periodically, however, their pricing is exceptionally good. “We had a red, white, and blue sale for July 4th, so anything red white or blue was half off,” Dumont said. They also hold a sale regularly during Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend.

Gaynor added: “We’re always looking for more volunteers and always looking for donations.”