WILMINGTON- Bartleby’s Books has been a popular destination on North Main Street for the last 20 years. Local residents, visitors, and book lovers of all kinds stopped in the bookstore to browse, buy, and say hello. Now the Bartleby’s Books staff is putting on the finishing touches as they get ready for the bookstore’s grand re-opening at their new location.

Bartleby’s Books closed its North Main Street location last Thursday. Employees spent the week moving 19,000 books, restocking bookshelves, and tidying up their new West Main Street location. Despite the store’s changes, one of the unique aspects of the bookstore’s new location is its history.

Bartleby’s Bookstore is now located in a building that belonged to the Vermont House, a local restaurant, inn, and tavern. According to Bartleby’s Bookstore co-owner Lisa Sullivan, the building was erected around 1833 and served a variety of purposes. The Vermont House used the first floor as a carriage house and the second floor as the grand ballroom.

Years later, Leonard Brown sold cars and used the old carriage house as a Ford and Buick showroom. Leon Covey and his business partner Irvine Bishop purchased the building from Brown. Then in 1940, Wee Moran started a car repair business in the same building. Moran purchased the building from Covey and Bishop, knocked down the Vermont Inn’s adjoining barn, and turned it into a stand-alone structure. Paul Allen ran a Shell gas station, while Moran opened an antique shop. Then came Mount Snow.

In 1952, Moran rented his first pair of skis in the garage of his gas station and became the Deerfield Valley’s first ski shop. According to a January 1974 edition of The Valley News, Moran expanded the ski shop and it was a business success. However, in the late 1960s his wife, Jetta Moran, grew ill. Moran hired Fay Hollander to help Jetta. Wee Moran spent less time in the ski shop and Hollander took on the day-to-day operations. According to Hollander’s daughter, Paula Fielding, a Bartleby’s employee, many people came into Moran’s ski shop asking where to buy gourmet foods. Eventually, Hollander decided to phase in health foods in the ski shop. “There was nothing around in the area for health foods. Faye was the first,” said Fielding.

In 1969, Wee Moran left the ski business and turned it over to Hollander. Hollander renamed the store Klara Simpla, and it became the area’s first health food store and healing center. Klara Simpla was another success story and it remained in business until 2004 when Hollander closed Klara Simpla and sold the property to Susan Lewis, who renamed the store The Hundredth Monkey. Lewis continued to sell health foods and holistic healing supplies. The store closed in 2008 and remained vacant until Sullivan and her husband and co-owner Phil Taylor purchased the building. This weekend, the new Bartleby’s Books will be open for business. “Phil and I are happy to be more centrally located in the community center. We hope there will be a new draw of people at our new location,” said Sullivan.

Bartleby’s Books now enters its 20th year of business. Amy and Peter Herrick first opened the bookstore in November 1989. The Herricks owned and operated the store for seven years until they sold it in the late 1990s to Ann Plunkett. Plunkett owned and operated Bartleby’s for four years and sold it to Ariel and Dave Redden in 2001. Sullivan and Taylor joined the Reddens in 2004 and they took sole ownership of the bookstore in 2008.

Sullivan said they made plenty of changes at the new Bartleby’s Bookstore. One of the changes customers will notice is the larger space. The North Main Street location had 1,100 square feet of space, now there will be an extra 700 square feet. As a result, Bartleby’s will be able to do a lot more.

There will be a small cafe where people can purchase Mocha Joe’s coffee and treats by Jezebel’s. Seating will also be available. The second floor will be used for community space and special classes. CB Goldstein is teaching yoga classes, Deborah Ty is teaching tai-chi, Denise Green will do massage therapy, and Pat Dorris will do acupuncture therapy, by appointment only.

Bartleby’s Books will also feature a special music program geared toward parents and toddlers. Ali Chambliss is a local singer-songwriter and will perform the music. Bartleby’s Books is working out the details for their special classes and services. “People are already contacting the store to use the community space,” said Sullivan.

The Bartleby’s Books grand re-opening takes place on Saturday, November 28. Hors d’oeuvres and Mocha Joe’s coffee will be served and author Archer Mayor will do a reading and book signing in the evening. The time has yet to be determined. All are welcome. “We’ll have extended hours during the holidays and we’ll also be featuring more author events as well. We look forward to opening the new bookstore,” said Sullivan.