PIKE COUNTY, Pa. — For more than three decades, Christine Piazzi has been decorating this showroom and greeting customers who walk through the doors here at Holley Ross Pottery in Greene Township.
She started at the shop when she was just 14 years old.
"This has been a kind of labor for love for me all through college. I would come back on weekends and work after college, I came back and worked. I've had other jobs, but this has been the one I've always come back to," Piazzi said.
But, the beloved shop, known for its in-house crafted dinner and glassware and American-made and imported items, is closing its doors after nearly 75 years in business.
Holley Ross has been around since 1948 and has been run by the same family since 1963.
Piazzi said after the owners died, their children took it over.
"This was their parent's legacy, not theirs," Piazzi said. "They were involved in the business before they got their careers, but since their careers, they've raised their own families and done their things, so the closing of the business was a tough decision, I'm sure, for them, but it would take so much to keep it going."
While some of the shelves are empty, the majority of the store is full. Customers have been coming in and stocking up on their favorite before it's too late.
Janet Gilpin, who lives nearby in Dreher Township, says the business holds a special place in her heart.
Her mother-in-law, daughter, and husband all worked here years ago.
"It's sad when it came across on Facebook they were going, and it was like no, this can't be real, it just can't be happening. It just can't, it can't, but it is. Time goes on without us," Gilpin said.
For those who want to say goodbye or shop for some bargains, you have until the end of the month.
Holley Ross Pottery, located on Route 191 between Cresco and Newfoundland, will close for good on Saturday, October 29, 2022.
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