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Afternoon or evening, Camp Irvington offers a distinctive setting for friends and families to gather, mingle and relax outdoors. Fire pits keep things cozy during chillier months. Photo by Corey Miller.
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In addition to selling and ordering books, Lisa McLaughlin’s Bookshelf Irvington hosts book clubs, brings authors to town and aims to connect community through book culture. Photo by Corey Miller.
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Engaged since 2022, Livi Justis and Thomas Harlow have been too busy launching Livi’s Market to plan their wedding. Photo by Corey Miller.
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With parking purposefully designed away from the cottages, Refuel offers guests a bucolic setting for an Irvington visit. Guests can use Refuel’s bikes or walk to five restaurants, two museums and tennis courts. While the scale is small, the cottages are thoughtfully designed and furnished. Refuel’s Break Room, complete with a shuffleboard table, dart boards, TV and bar, offers a community gathering space for guests. Photo by Corey Miller.
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Daily Magic owner Ally Childress created a shop as unique as her mode of transportation. From the boyfriends’/husbands’ bench in the front window to the carefully curated inventory, Daily Magic was designed for anyone seeking self-care and indulgence. Photo by Corey Miller.
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After training in New York City, Ashley Gerczak chose Irvington for Blue Honey, her community exercise and meditation space. Photo by Corey Miller.
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Kristy Cotter’s Dear Neighbor boutique shares a building with Blue Honey for the summer. Women- owned businesses dominate Steamboat Road. Photo by Corey Miller.
When historians look back at post-COVID-19 Irvington, they're likely to focus on the desire for connection and community that grew out of the pandemic.
Referred to by Southern Living magazine as the place where “Mayberry meets Manhattan,” Irvington was called a “tiny but tony town with a lot to offer” by no less than The New York Times. Long known for its charm, bustling summer tourist season and year-round locals, the village of 450 people also boasts a range of eclectic businesses, with the Tides Inn, Hope & Glory and vacation rentals providing local lodging.
But it’s the recent boom in brick-and-mortar businesses, owned in large part by young people, that’s a sure sign something is afoot in Irvington. This isn’t a town that’s received Main Street grant money, but one that’s been experiencing more of a slow build over time and now, a flurry of unique businesses that build on Irvington’s already substantial charm offensive.
THE LOCAL
Fifteen years ago, when Anthony and Joanna Marchetti decided to buy a home and eventually raise children here, it was intentionally based on what the area could offer. When they bought The Local five years ago, they further deepened their commitment to Irvington. “We saw what Julien Patterson and Terri Wesselman were doing by opening businesses and that showed us there was an opportunity for growth,” Anthony Marchetti says, referring to the power couple behind Compass Entertainment Complex. “We decided to be the change we wanted to see.”
CAMP
Even during the pandemic, Irvington saw the opening of new businesses. In 2020, Craig Dodson took the old 1920s service station at the intersection of Irvington Road and King Carter Drive and revamped it into Windswept Experience Supply, a distinctively hip space for curated American-made apparel, bike rentals and service, paddleboard rentals and vintage accessories. By summer 2021, Dodson was hosting musicians for small-scale monthly outdoor shows behind Windswept, attracting local music lovers as well as those willing to drive.
When the space that was once the Dog and Oyster Vineyard became available, Dodson saw the possibility of creating yet another draw for Irvington. Because it was a much bigger project, he enlisted partners: the Marchettis and real estate developer Mike Hanky. “Irvington is the only local town that feels to me walk-and bike-friendly,” Dodson says. “We wanted to create a place with no screens where people would put their phones down and socialize.”
Because the country was just coming out of the pandemic, the partners knew it had to be outdoors. The concept for CAMP was simple but original, its aesthetic an ode to the ’60s and ’70s recreational lifestyle. First, they created a camp commissary selling beer, wine and gourmet packaged foods such as charcuterie, snacks, cheeses, dips and crackers, all-natural and organic. Hot foods—chili, sausages, mac and cheese, soft pretzels, brisket sandwiches—are also available, as are beer and wine on tap.
Beyond the commissary sit clusters of Adirondack chairs and fire pits—bundles of wood are available for sale—with the seating framed by a timber wall of locally cut trees and lit from above with twinkle lights. A small stage is the setting for live music on Saturday evenings. The feeling while surrounded by 60 acres is magical, no matter the season.
A play area is set up to provide fun for guests’ children that doesn’t involve screens. “If kids can be kids, they’re happy and that makes it more enjoyable for parents to sit and talk,” Marchetti explains, as Dodson gestures to a young family arriving, the boy carrying a football. “CAMP is for everyone, from 20-somethings to retirees and young families. We specifically chose these Adirondack chairs because they were comfortable for Mike’s 80-year-old dad.”
BOOKSHELF
Although Bookshelf Irvington isn’t yet a brick-and-mortar, owner and chief bookseller Lisa McLaughlin has created a pop-up bookshop inside The Local. Her goal is to bring book culture to the community, something she’s already doing through regularly scheduled book clubs and author events at various local spots: June’s book club meets at CAMP and July’s at the Steamboat Era Museum.
Until she finds the right building, she keeps busy taking professional book-selling courses and learning about the process of being an independent, community-minded bookstore. Although she considered other towns, McLaughlin decided that Irvington was it. “It had the vibe,” she explains. “A small town offers opportunity where I can fulfill a dream of opening a bookstore as a way to contribute to my community.”
OBJECTS, ART & MORE, THE OFFICE BISTRO, SWEET TEA BOUTIQUE, IRVINGTON HOME GOODS AND COMPASS ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX
As owners of Objects, Art and More, The Office Bistro, Sweet Tea Boutique, Irvington Home Goods and Compass Entertainment Complex, Terri Wesselman and Julien Patterson have been sold on Irvington for years. Ask Wesselman why the couple decided to open so many businesses and she responds, “Because it was missing things! The young people who came and embraced small-town life during the pandemic aren’t trying to make Irvington 100% different. They’re also recognizing that stuff is missing here.”
PILLAR & PEACOCK
From her first day in the interior design business, Adrianne Bugg had no doubt that she wanted to locate her shop, Pillar & Peacock, in Irvington. Since 2014, she’s been in the highly visible strip framed by The Local and Dredge and business has been brisker than ever post-pandemic. “Change is inevitable, and sometimes scary, but if we don’t change, we’re dead in the water,” Bugg says. “The fact that people are moving here, enrolling their kids in schools and opening businesses is nothing but fabulous for this area.”
DREDGE
Bryan Byrd, owner and chef of Dredge, attributes his continued spike in business to the uptick in short-term rentals and the Tides Inn’s not closing. He’s noticed that customers mention visiting multiple local restaurants and businesses, often referred to Dredge by another business owner.
He looks at Irvington’s local businesses as complementary to each other rather than competitive. “We all have our unique vibe that makes this town special. But the infrastructure needs some adjustments if we’re going to stay this busy,” he explains, adding that there’s a need in the county for affordable housing options for area workers. “Irvington is seeing positive growth, but we don’t want to overwhelm it.”
LIVI'S MARKET
Having met in the fourth grade and reconnected in high school, Livi Justis and her fiancé, Thomas Harlow, grew up spending summers and weekends along the Rappahannock River. But it wasn’t until summer 2021 when Justis managed her friend Kristy Cotter’s Dear Neighbor pop-up on Steamboat Lane that they found themselves in Irvington full-time. “I was amazed by the sense of community and charm that exists in Irvington,” Justis says. “Early on, we knew we wanted to be a part of the community and with the service station out of operation, we felt it would be perfect for the sort of gourmet market we dreamed up together.”
Livi’s Market still sells gas, but that’s where the resemblance to its former iteration ends. With backgrounds in retail, Justis and Harlow stocked the store with ready-to-eat sandwiches and meals, hostess gifts, wine, healthy snacks, gluten-free baked goods, organic chocolate bars and even a house coffee called Thomas’ Blend.
Staying true to the store’s roots, Livi’s carries the convenience store requisites like beer and candy bars because sometimes only a Reese’s Cup will do. “We’re open seven days a week like a real convenience store and during the summer until 9:00, in case you need something later in the evening,” Justis says. As for the future, “This is where we want to raise a family and grow our roots.”
VINE
When Terri Riggs opened Vine in 2017, it was the sole restaurant in downtown Irvington. With a total vision of what she wanted—including what sun she’d get on the patio she intended to add—her long-time plans to open a wine bar became reality when the King Carter space became available.
Irvington embraced the wine bar concept and Vine was a hit from the day it opened. “It’s exciting to have several new businesses in the community and we’d welcome more,” Riggs says. “Our strength is that we all support one another.”
SEWLOVELEE
Lee Taylor’s Sewlovelee quilting shop was originally in White Stone, but in August 2018, she moved to a Victorian house in Irvington. She thought it better conveyed the feel she wanted for her shop’s theme, which was to be your home for quilting on the Northern Neck. “When I saw this house, I knew it was a perfect fit for the business,” she says. “Irvington as a whole has a homey feel.”
REFUEL IRVINGTON
Just past Sewlovelee is Steamboat Road, Irvington’s original Main Street during the steamboat era. Then it had a bakery, a general store and a library and now it’s home to a new cluster of businesses uniting to bring back its former glory. In 2021, Lancaster County native Albert Pollard bought the old petroleum transfer station on Seafood Lane behind Chesapeake Academy and just off Steamboat Lane. By July 2022, he opened Refuel Irvington, a cluster of six tiny homes available for short-term rental that quickly became popular for corporate retreats, family reunions and weddings. This summer, he’s adding Refuel Café, a southern fusion fast casual spot offering charcuterie boards and an array of vegetarian starters, salads and entrées as well as beer and wine. Tables are nicely spaced and sit in the shade around a fountain to encourage lingering, European style.
He’s convinced Irvington is enjoying a renaissance because it’s authentic and walkable. Pollard offers a challenge to guests booking three nights. If they put their keys in the lockbox on arrival and commit to walking and biking to attractions for the entire visit—he provides sample itineraries to showcase local attractions—guests receive a free night on their next visit. “In a country where so much is generic and car-centric, Irvington is unique and so it attracts people,” he says.
DAILY MAGIC
Ally Childress’ vision was Daily Magic, a shop curated for self-care and sourced from small businesses, many Virginia- based and most women-owned. Located in the former Irvington town offices on Steamboat Road, the clean lined space welcomes visitors with skin care and bath products, journals and notecards, inspiring books, weekend-sized craft projects and Childress’ hand-crafted jewelry. “There’s something destination-oriented about Irvington,” she says. “The history is palpable, so I feel very lucky to be here with great neighbors like Refuel and Blue Honey.”
She’d previously considered two buildings elsewhere but knew the moment she walked into the Irvington space that it was right. “This location lends itself to a discovery moment because it’s not on the main drag,” Childress says from her renovated shop, where sunlight meets high ceilings, plants and the original hardwood floors. Her bright-red electric moped sits out front. “It’s wonderful to see the street come alive again.”
BLUE HONEY & DEAR NEIGHBOR
Ashley Gerczak lived in New York City before seeking respite in the Northern Neck to be near family during the pandemic. There, she’d run operations for a wellness start-up while teaching Pilates on the side. Gerczak chose to put down roots and created Blue Honey, the name an ode to the beauty of the area. “It’s a place where other practitioners can come and experience all modalities,” she explains of the community space used for yoga, Reformer/mat Pilates and meditation through private sessions and group lessons. “I want to create a meeting place where we can all access things we otherwise wouldn’t be able to here.”
It was only after she saw Windswept for the first time that she looked at the area through a different lens. “Windswept is almost a beacon of what Irvington can be,” Gerczak says. “Craig pioneered what we’re all attempting to contribute to.”
Those who recall Kristy Cotter’s Dear Neighbor pop-up shop last summer can find the pop-up once again inside Gerczak’s studio through Labor Day. A full-blown boutique, Dear Neighbor offers ready-to-wear, dresses, swimsuits, beauty, gifts and jewelry, including permanent jewelry, which is welded on the customer, making it custom to them.
As Irvington residents during the summer, Cotter’s family fell in love with the small-town feel and sense of community. She’s hoping to eventually find a permanent location on the downtown Irvington strip for visibility, but in the meantime, her summer inventory was chosen with the Irvington customer in mind. “We’re so happy to be back in our space with Blue Honey and near Daily Magic,” Cotter says. “We love how Irvington is growing with women entrepreneurs.”
IRVINGTON IS ON THE MAP
Speaking for the Irvington Virginia Business Association, board president Sam Van Saun points to the thriving shops and restaurants as well as the walkability that together make Irvington a prime location for new businesses. “There’s not a lot of duplication among our businesses so there’s something for everyone,” Van Saun says. “Irvington has the benefit of being part of the larger ecosystem known as Virginia’s River Realm and cross pollinates especially with Kilmarnock and White Stone.”
There’s a consensus among the newer business owners that a rising tide lifts all boats. McLaughlin, Justis, Harlow, Gerczak, Cotter and Childress speak of trying to create an ecosystem that helps support and uplift one another. It’s a philosophy the Irvington originals have espoused for years. “There aren’t a lot of places with a real sense of community,” Marchetti says. “I live here, too, and we all want to create something that makes our lives better.”
With the influx of younger people during the pandemic and remote working capabilities, Irvington’s demographics have shifted. “With growth comes change and with change comes conflict,” Pollard says. “Irvington is handling growth gracefully by having lots of conversations. As neighbors, we need to keep talking to each other.”
Sheila Broderick Brown is co-owner of the Dandelion, now in its 48th year of business. It’s always been a surprise to her that so many people remain unaware of the Northern Neck, and the hidden gem of Irvington.
“The pandemic brought in a new group of visitors and residents, which helped sustain us and grow us, for which we’re thankful,” Brown says. “Irvington is a happy and safe community to live, work, play, attend school and of course, eat and shop. I venture to say that Irvington is finally on the map.”
Bookshelf Irvington I 760-908-3003 I bookshelfirvington.com
Blue Honey I 917-656-5033 I mindbodyonline.com/explore/locations/blue-honey
CAMP I 804-438-8006 I campirvington.com
Daily Magic Shop I 540-841-5856 I dailymagicshop.com
Dear Neighbor I 804-819-1729 I shopdearneighbor.com
Dredge I 804-438-6363 I Facebook.com/dredgeirvingtonva
The Dandelion I 804-438-5194 I Facebook.com/thedandelionirvington
The Local I 804-438-9356 I Facebook.com/thelocalirvington
The Office Bistro I 804-438-8032 I theofficeirvington.com
Livi’s Market I 804-477-4443 I @livis.market
Objects Art and More I 804-438-8024 I objectsartandmore.com
Pillar & Peacock I 844-625-6414 I pillarandpeacock.com
Refuel Irvington I 804-436-2752 I refuelirvington.com
Sewlovelee I 804-438-5800 I sewlovelee.com
Vine I 804-577-0773 I vinewineva.com
Windswept Experience Supply I 410-206-3935 I windsweptexperiencesupplyco.com
