Hamlet Depot completes gift shop renovation

HAMLET — The long-needed facelift of the Hamlet Depot gift shop is now complete, making the Depot’s only source of revenue more accessible and aesthetically pleasing for customers at the same time they’ve added new commemorative merchandise.

In summer 2020, a time when many people realized the pandemic was here to stay and took on projects that had been on their to-do list, Depot Director Mechelle Preslar wanted to renovate the gift shop, among other improvements. The gift shop had a large cabinet that took up much of the room and was awkwardly positioned, effectively cutting the available space in half.

Thanks to funding from American Woodmark to the tune of $2,100, they were able to trim the cabinet down to a reasonable size and move it to the back of the shop like a traditional countertop, which also allowed for more social distancing rather than just one customer meandering between the displays at one time.

Once they moved it off its spot, they realized that part of the floor had never been stained, so their hired local hardwood floor finishing business Dixie Janitorial Services to treat the floors.

With a more spacious shop, customers can be surrounded on all sides by the new items on sale, including Depot-branded beanies, hoodies, shirts and various knickknacks, gas lanterns, classic model trains, and more.

This renovation comes after the pandemic forced the shop to shut down. The revenue from the shop all goes to support the Depot’s projects, and without that, Preslar and Angie Averitte, a Depot volunteer and the secretary and treasurer of the 501c3 Hamlet Historic Depot, had to get creative.

They’ve held Food Truck Fridays, pushed a membership drive, and sold bricks for the Commemorative Brick Garden. Since the pandemic, they’ve also repaired the floors of the classic locomotive in the museum, added metal stairs on the static caboose on display across the street from the Depot with the help of Hughes Welding of Rockingham, and started the Runner Brick Garden to honor the top male and female runners in the annual Seaboard Festival 5k.

Preslar and Averitte agreed that the visitors have started coming back after a long gap, and the revenue is better than it was before the pandemic.

“I think they are ready to come out and want something to do,” Preslar said.

“We’re better [than before the pandemic] because we have new merchandise, better because we sold Christmas ornaments, we’re better because with the [renovation] and the volunteers on the weekend we’re open seven days a week, and we’re also better because we have a great social media presence that’s promoting us as well,” Averitte said, crediting Jeanne Newton with her work on the Depot’s social media pages.

Preslar said getting the gift shop up and running, and keeping the Depot active over the course of the pandemic, has been a “group effort.”

“Every time I’ve had an event that’s after hours I’ve had a stellar group of volunteers that have come in and kept the gift shop open to cater to the public,” she said. “It’s definitely been a group effort because I can’t do it all.”

Volunteers allowed the gift shop to capitalize on Hamlet’s Polar Express, which was on foot compared to Rockingham’s drive-thru version. After the tree lighting, Preslar invited the public to walk down the street to see Mr. and Mrs. Claus, enjoy the Hamlet Fire Department’s hot chocolate and cookies, and watch the movie “The Polar Express,” complete with Depot Board President Sam Ballard dressed up as the conductor punching their tickets and making sure each child left with a “believe bell” based on the bell from the movie.

Looking ahead

The Depot is in the early planning stages of a fundraiser to have a mural depicting the Seaboard Air Line Railway’s historic Orange Blossom Special painted on the broad side of the former Birmingham Drug building in downtown Hamlet. The Orange Blossom Special was one of the flagship trains operated by Seaboard Air Line Railways that carried people from the northeast to Florida from the ’30s to the ’50s.

The popular Food Truck Fridays will return on April 8 and will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on every second and fourth Friday of the month.

Then on April 10, the Depot will host a cruise-in from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for auto enthusiasts to strut their stuff and swap stories with other like-minded folks.

And new this year will the Depot’s concert series that will be held on the fourth Saturday of April, May and June featuring local music acts including Jonathan Robinson and the Axe Handlers.

Food trucks start back April 8 , having a cruise in on April 10from 3 p.m. to 6 pm. with food trucks , concert in the Main Street Park , 4th Saturday of April – June , have two groups lined up , bluegrass band and Jonathan Robinson , Axehammers , and looking for more slots ,

To support the Hamlet Depot & Museums or volunteer, call the Visitor’s Center at 910-582-0603 or visit https://www.hamlethistoricdepot.org.