NEW KIDS IN THE HALL: THE INVENTOR OF THE SIX-PANEL VISOR BRINGS NANTUCKET TO FANEUIL HALL
Walking into TownPool, the new Faneuil Hall emporium of antique house goods and Massachusetts-by-way-of-Colorado-style clothing, is a bit like walking into the coolest independent found-objects store in a former greenhouse that you’ve ever seen. One that exists in stark contrast with the suburban mall-esque varieties of big-brand brethren all around Quincy Market.
The space is the brainchild of Luke Gutelius who, after partnering with pal Sean Dew—a Nantucket native born and raised on the Grey Lady herself, who began working at the original TownPool store on ACK when still in high school—opened the mainland outpost two weeks ago. The result has been overwhelming.
“We totally underestimated how busy we’d be,” says Gutelius, “I understand Nantucket, but with Faneuil Hall the seventh-most-foot-trafficked place in world, now the big challenge is having staff to meet the demand.”
That sense of new business nervousness is well earned. Gutelius, who invented the six-panel visor in 1999 and spent 10 years manufacturing them for everyone from colleges to the NFL while working out of a Manchester, NH, office across from Segway inventor Dean Kamen’s workspace (“We used to watch him land his helicopter on the roof every morning”), says the first two days of business here each smashed the best days ever at the Nantucket store.
The vintage mid-century items lining the space (courtesy of a CT-based vintage dealer) are also for sale, and Gutelius says they sold a couple in the first 10 minutes of being open.
At present they stock loads of Flaherty outerwear and sweaters, Gumleaf English Wellington boots (tested to -10 degrees Farenheit), and flasks, belts, and coasters from the original needlepoint design company, Smathers & Branson. For curation, Gutelius personally meets with each brand he carries.
“I care about working with people who I enjoy being with,” he says.
TOWNPOOL. NOW OPEN, 1 FANEUIL HALL MARKETPLACE.
DAN MCCARTHY
Editor
Dan McCarthy is a Boston-based journalist and and former editor in chief of DigBoston, whose work has appeared in The Boston Institute for Non-Profit Journalism (BINJ), VICE, The Boston Globe, Esquire, The Daily Beast, Thrillist, Fast Company, Pacific Standard, Leafly News, and more.
- 1 month ago
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