Back on February 6 Cornwall’s Main St. business community got a bit of a shock, when Madison Ave. Fine Children’s Clothing Boutique’s Karen Kaiser-Sharp announced that she would soon be closing her 20+ year business in its current location.

Now, parents and grandparents of little ones, don’t get too stressed out … while Karen won’t have her current center-of-town storefront, she’s still planning to sell her adorable clothes and toys via her various social media platforms (her Instagram is Madison.avenue246, Facebook is Madison Avenue Fine Childrens Clothing Boutique, and website is madisonavenuecornwall.com). And … she says that she hopes to open another retail space locally at some point, maybe in conjunction with another business.

“This building sold, but I’ll still be shopping and shipping for you, offering free local delivery as well,” she said.

“For over 20 years, it has been my greatest joy to be part of your lives,” Karen wrote in that initial post. “Watching your little ones grow, sharing in your milestones, and connecting with this incredible community has truly been a dream come true. Our storefront on Main Street has been a one-of-a-kind experience that I will forever cherish.”

This week, Karen said that she is “crying every day” as she posts on Facebook and Instagram, and has visitors stop in, sometimes just to tell her they will miss seeing her smiling face when on Main St.

She opened the store when her daughter Madison was two; she’s now in graduate school.

“Raising our daughter in this community has created memories that will last a lifetime,” she said. “My little shop on the corner was home base to Madison throughout her childhood, a place where she learned, played, and grew alongside all of your little ones. Madison and her friends always had a safe place to land, whether it was after school, on weekends, or during special events. This shop has been more than just a business -- it has been a part of our family.”

The shop gained a new level of customers back in 2022, when HGTV’s Hometown Kickstart remodeled her store. You can watch that episode of the show at: watch.hgtv.com/video/home-town-kickstart-presented-by-people-hgtv-atve-us/upstate-update-in-cornwall

Karen was quoted in that show saying Cornwall is the “cutest, quaintest, most amazing town”, which might be why she is struggling with the change; but, she reminded her customers and friends this week, that this isn’t an end to the business -- “it’s just a change”.

When she made her Facebook post back in February nearly immediately 115 comments rolled in. Most expressed some sadness about the closing, others spoke of the joy she has brought them through the years.

“You created so many wonderful memories in this community”, one person wrote, while another said: “Main St. won’t be the same without Madison Avenue”. “Thank you for being such a community treasure,” was another.

Right now, everything in her store – 5880 items, she laughed – is on sale for 30 percent off (in-store purchases only), and her fixtures, décor, etc. are also for sale. She plans to close her doors on Easter (Sunday, April 20) but will spend the two weeks after that packing up (“if you see me there and need something, come on in,” she said. The store is located at 246 Main St.

“Thank you for 20 wonderful years on Main Street and for loving this little shop as much as I do,” Karen said. “Here’s to new beginnings and many more memories to come!”

A final note from a social media follower: “Congratulations on your many years of bringing such style and creativity to your town!”