TORRINGTON – Old Moose Mercantile, a new boutique named for the building’s previous inhabitant, the Moose Lodge, celebrated the start of its opening weekend on Nov. 13.
Taryn Kilty, who also owns Farm Girls Boutique on Main Street, purchased the building on 21st Avenue last October as a setting to sell more furniture, home goods, kids’ apparel and men’s apparel.
“We were purely running out of space at Farm Girls, and I love redoing old buildings, too, so it was the perfect meld between both worlds,” Kilty said. “We always love a good project.”
Before Old Moose Mercantile opened its doors, the Moose Lodge suffered a fire in 2015 that led them to close their doors. Kilty purchased the building that was built in 1927, a date present in the store’s logo, and named it after the Moose Lodge.
“It’s part of the history so it was cool,” she said.
The store blends the old with the new, selling antique-esque items alongside modern clothes and furniture. Kilty said the goal was to make the atmosphere “fun and welcoming.”
Opening a new business during a pandemic is a challenge not lost on Kilty, but she said she’s felt support from the community.
“Of course there’s apprehension, but the thing we noticed with Farm Girls, too, is people are really staying local and shopping local,” Kilty said.
More information about the store is available on their Facebook page, The Old Moose Mercantile.
