Country Carriage a Longtime Favorite at the Mill Falls Marketplace

The vintage counter and glass cases at The Country Carriage

Stepping into the historic Mill building at the Mill Falls Marketplace is like taking a trip through time. The wooden floors and beams show their age and beauty marks from as far back as the early 1800s, but the old and new mingle here seamlessly, bringing a timeless quality to the shops that now inhabit this old linen mill. One of these shops seems to have been born out of the evolution of the mill, melding perfectly with the ambiance of the building. Indeed, The Country Carriage, with its rustic American theme, is the flagship store, having been here since the mill was renovated into the Marketplace in the early 1980s.

Gail Putnam has owned and managed The Country Carriage for nearly 28 years, “since before the first [Mill Falls] Inn was even built,” she says. The Mill Falls Marketplace opened with a handful of stores in 1984, and in June the following year, the ribbon was cut at The Inn at Mill Falls. “I have personally been here this entire time,” says Gail. “I think we are the first—well the only—original store and store owner.” Some of the other stores have been at the Marketplace from the beginning, but have changed hands since that time. Read the rest of this entry »