Originally from southern Rhode Island, Jed Thompson is a recent arrival to the Berkshires. He moved here a year and a half ago with the intention of opening a flower shop/antiques store. Now he and his partner Nathan Hanford own Township Four, a full-service florist, antique shop, plant store and art gallery on North Street in Pittsfield, Mass. Thompson runs the store (Hanford works with the Soldier On organization), and since its opening last July, Township Four has become a thriving business. I have an extensive retail background, and had a similar store in Rhode Island. At Township Four we do a nice mixture of flowers and plants, events, parties and classes. We offer at least one plant- or flower-based class every month. In fact, we’ve sold at least 175 spots in classes since October, with the terrarium class being the most popular. We get people who love plants or who are looking for something to do with their friends and family. We’ve done office and bachelorette parties, and private classes. During the holiday season we do a lot of wreath-making classes. The classes have been a fantastic addition to the store.
We also host art from a variety of artists, both Berkshire and New England-based. I wanted to have a store that showcases what you can do with various objects, whether they’re plants, antiques or art. Or all three. It’s been very satisfying for Nathan and me to have a beautiful space to host people. The response to our store has been overwhelmingly positive. People seem surprised that we selected to open on North Street, but we believe in it. We chose it because it’s central to the county, because we’re very excited about Pittsfield’s up-and-coming spirit. We’re excited about our block in particular, and that The Lantern is reopening. It’s important to us to try to be good community members and to use local products as much as we can. We want everyone to feel good when they walk into the store, and to be able to buy something, no matter their budget.
