Dan's Papers - March 21, 2008 - Bliss' Department Store

Located at 186 North Ferry Road on Shelter Island is Bliss' Department Store, "the store with everything." Although now owned and operated by Peggy and Walter Johnson, the store got its name from Peggy's father Leonard Bliss, who renamed it in 1972 after he purchased it from Frank Basiles. The store had previously been called Basiles when it opened in the 1930s.

The building itself dates back to Wednesday, April 9, 1924, when it opened as an A&P dry goods store, as recorded in the diary of Shelter Island legend D. Hannie Young. Despite a fire in 2001 that caused water and smoke damage, and hurricane high tide damage due to the building's close proximity to Dering Harbor, the original floors and shelves remain intact.

During a recent visit to the store, Lynn Thomson was working. She fondly recalled visiting the store as a young girl. In fact, her father's old ice skates hang high up on the wall in front of the checkout counter along with a collection of store artifacts including old cans and bottles dating back to the store's A&P years. Lynn informed me that A&P heiress Rachel Carpenter summered on the Island and shopped at the store many years ago.

As many customers stopped in the store to visit and buy odds and ends, it became evident that Bliss' Department Store has a loyal clientele, including 101-year-old Irving Gruber and many "hareleggers" (the term used by locals to describe someone who was born on the Island). One such person was Dorothy "the playwright," who was looking for green dye. Although not a harelegger, she is fifth generation (of seven generations) on Shelter Island. She recalled shopping with her father at the A&P pre-1936. Before long I was hearing tales of yesteryear on Shelter Island. The stories shifted from decade to decade, and the homespun atmosphere of small town America that lives in the aisles at Bliss' Department Store came alive.

So what does the store with everything actually have? Lynn said, "We don't carry anything that's dressy, except women's summer dresses." But they do carry Woolrich sweaters and high-end Columbia gear, men's Levi's, a variety of shoes and sneakers, and much more. A unique item is the Shelter Island scripted dog cap with a chinstrap. My favorite item is the clam digger boots you won't find in most department stores. The manner in which the clothes are neatly folded and displayed on the wooden racks and shelves built for the A&P back in 1924 gives the place an authentic feel. Bliss' is just one reason the Island hasn't changed much over the years.

I asked Lynn who, besides the loyal locals, has dropped in to shop. She replied, "South African Bishop Desmund Tutu and Jimmy Buffet, who lived in Dering Harbor when his North Sea home was being built."

If you're ever crossing Shelter Island on Route 114 , take the time to stop in at Bliss' Department Store. Park your car in front and walk into a place where time has not stopped, but tradition proudly continues on.

Bliss' Department Store is open seven days a week during the summer season and on the weekends during the off-season. For more information call (631) 749-0041 or (631) 749-1056.