Forty-nine years after graduating from Pacific High School together, three friends decided to cross one item off their bucket list — and with that came the consignment and retail shop Three Ladies on the Corner.
The shop, owned by Madonna Cieslak, and run with the help of Kay Cooper and Marian Spriggs, opened Friday, May 18, just in time for the Downtown Washington Art Fair and Winefest. It is located at 120 Elm St., next to Cowan’s Restaurant in Downtown Washington.
Originally, the three had hoped to open the store May 23, the actual anniversary of their high school graduation. Instead, they held the ribbon cutting on that day.
In high school, the three were active together in choir, cheerleading and majorettes, Spriggs said.
After high school, Cieslak and Spriggs moved away for almost 30 years, but both ended up back in the area. They reunited through a group where members of the Pacific High School Class of 1963 meet once each month.
“This was a dream of ours,” Spriggs said. “We enjoy the camaraderie of being back home and seeing all of our friends and the three of us coming back together as friends.”
Spriggs said she is very proud of having a business up and running and is excited to meet new people.
The shop is half retail items, with jewelry, purses, candles, scarves and other items. The other half of the shop is consignment furniture.
Consignment is done on a 50/50 split, Spriggs said, adding that it’s important consignment items be clean and not ripped or soiled.
“Our goal is to make items affordable for people,” she said. “We want them to come back and know they’re going to get a good deal and that they’re not going to get junk or something overpriced.”
Now, Spriggs said, the store is full with dishes and smaller items, but more furniture is needed for consignment.
Spriggs said she’s excited about being in Downtown Washington.
“The people of Washington have been so nice and courteous,” she said. “We’re really happy where we are.”
Three Ladies on the Corner is open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The store is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. The phone number is 636-390-2532.
