New shop opens in former Midway Station in Sharon

Store owner Kristin May, right, helps Melissa Porter, of South Royalton, Vt., pick out charms for her daughters at Something Wonderful in Sharon, Vt., on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. Porter was excited to visit the gift shop after weeks of driving by it on her way home from work. “The support from the community has been amazing,” May said. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus)

Store owner Kristin May, right, helps Melissa Porter, of South Royalton, Vt., pick out charms for her daughters at Something Wonderful in Sharon, Vt., on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. Porter was excited to visit the gift shop after weeks of driving by it on her way home from work. “The support from the community has been amazing,” May said. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus) Alex Driehaus

A selection of iron-on patches are displayed at Something Wonderful in Sharon, Vt., on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. The “patch bar” and “charm bar” are featured prominently at the gift shop, which also offers private parties where groups can make their own charm jewelry. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus)

A selection of iron-on patches are displayed at Something Wonderful in Sharon, Vt., on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. The “patch bar” and “charm bar” are featured prominently at the gift shop, which also offers private parties where groups can make their own charm jewelry. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus) Alex Driehaus

Something Wonderful, a newly-opened gift shop, is the first business to occupy a section of the renovated Midway Station building in Sharon, Vt., on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus)

Something Wonderful, a newly-opened gift shop, is the first business to occupy a section of the renovated Midway Station building in Sharon, Vt., on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus) Alex Driehaus

Store owner Kristin May tidies up inventory at Something Wonderful in Sharon, Vt., on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. May’s husband Joel Senger owns the building along with a silent partner, and plans to find two other businesses to fill the remaining vacant spaces. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus)

Store owner Kristin May tidies up inventory at Something Wonderful in Sharon, Vt., on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. May’s husband Joel Senger owns the building along with a silent partner, and plans to find two other businesses to fill the remaining vacant spaces. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus) Alex Driehaus

By CLARE SHANAHAN

Valley New Staff Writer

Published: 12-26-2024 6:06 PM

SHARON — Kristin May Senger is doing her best to stock her shop in the former Tracy’s Midway Station with New England-made products.

“It is really important to me to feature as many local people as I can, and there's just so many amazing makers around here,” May Senger said last week. “That's definitely something that I'm gonna always try and really dedicate spaces within the store to.”

The bright and colorful Something Wonderful opened in early November. The shop is the first business to open in the former convenience store, built in 1926, that May Senger and her husband, Joel Senger, purchased in November 2023. The building sits on Route 14, across the street from the River Road bridge that crosses the White River.

The shop offers an eclectic mix of products including Sharon-made earrings, apothecary goods from Pomfret and New England-themed signs made in Hanover, Mass., vintage pottery sourced from around the country, and bags handmade for May Senger in India.

“Everyone's reacted so nicely to it, and it's been so nice to see the community come together and be so excited about something that's new in town,” May Senger said.

May Senger’s favorite parts of the shop are the patch and charm bars where people can decorate their own hats, bags or jewelry. She has started hosting parties, where groups can use the bars together.

The whole store is packed into only about 425 square feet of the roughly 1,800-square-foot building.

The rest of the building is undergoing renovations and may be used as one or two retail spaces for lease — the couple hopes that one half will be a cafe, but are trying to “quell the rumors” that it will include a full-sized restaurant, May Senger said.

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The Sengers originally planned to renovate the whole building before opening any businesses, but as they worked through the space “it kind of made sense to do it in phases.”

They now hope to see the rest of the main space occupied and open by next summer, but as they have two young kids and both work full-time jobs, “we’ll see,” May Senger said.

Clare Shanahan can be reached at cshanahan@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.