“The Frippery” Thrift Store Extraordinaire is a Watchung Historic Gem

For over Half a Century, the Frippery is Watchung’s Original Treasure Hunt

Long before thrift shopping became trendy, generations of bargain hunters were already climbing the stairs and rummaging through the shelves at one of Watchung’s best-known hidden gems: The Frippery.

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The Frippery officially opened on March 10, 1971, inside the former Walker House at 7 Valley Road, a residence owned by Wilson Memorial Union Church in Watchung. Created to support the church’s Hammer and Help program, the volunteer-run thrift shop converted donated clothing and household goods into money, supplies, and emergency assistance for people locally and around the world. Ruth L. Crumpacker led the operation for approximately six and a half years during the 1970s, helping The Frippery grow from a small church project into a lasting community institution that was still flourishing more than two decades later.

Getting The Frippery ready for its March opening was itself a community project. Wilson Memorial Church nearly demolished the former Walker House to gain six additional parking spaces, but instead volunteers saved the building and transformed its lower floor into a thrift shop.

Over 60 church members cleaned, painted, and repaired the rooms, while Barbara Hart organized the donations and found creative ways to reuse unexpected treasures. A battered cupboard discovered in the cellar was painted green and gold and turned into a display case, while an old-fashioned ladder was restored for sale as decorative “library stairs.” The second floor was set aside for church youth, who were already remodeling it as a meeting space and possible coffeehouse. What might have been lost to a parking lot instead became a house filled with donated goods, and a continuing source of support for Hammer and Help’s charitable work.

Today the address is 40 Hillcrest Road, still one of three buildings, including the Wilson Memorial Church. The Frippery became a local treasure hunt spread across two floors. Downstairs, shoppers could browse dishes, glassware, lamps, linens, jewelry, toys, books, holiday decorations, and household curiosities. Upstairs were racks of clothing and shoes for men, women, and children. You never quite knew what you would find, and that was part of the fun.

Behind all those bargains was a serious community mission. Operated largely by church volunteers, The Frippery raised money and distributed donated goods to local families and organizations, including the Star Fish Food Pantry, Somerset County food and homeless programs, animal shelters, and the Lyons VA Hospital. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a small group of volunteers even kept the operation moving while supporting Watchung’s police and public works employees.

The Frippery is more than a thrift shop. It is one of those wonderfully unpretentious local institutions built from donated objects, volunteer hours, and neighborly generosity. Every item on its shelves once belonged to someone, and every purchase helped someone else. That makes The Frip not only a place filled with old things, but a living piece of Watchung history.

Wilson Memorial Church

The Frippery’s setting has its own history, all under the direction of the Wilson Memorial Church. The Church was dedicated in 1890, and its parish building was expanded in 1958. Thirteen years later, The Frippery opened its doors. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021 and has now served the Watchung area for approximately 55 years.

But the Wilson Memorial Church’s story began more than 160 years ago, when retired minister Rev. George Taylor gathered children from the Watchung Hills for Sunday school. What started as a small neighborhood class eventually became the Washingtonville Sunday School Association, and by 1886 the community dreamed of building a permanent chapel.

The effort caught the attention of Plainfield newspaper editor Colonel John F. Wilson, who heard about the effort and wanted to help; he donated $3,500 to complete the building in memory of his late wife, Mary, a devoted supporter of local children.

Colonel John F. Wilson (left) and Tunlaw,” the Wilsons’ North Plainfield residence on Greenbrook Road.

The debt-free Mary E. Wilson Memorial Chapel opened in 1897 and, in 1914, became an interdenominational church. That same community spirit later inspired Hammer and Help in 1968 and The Frippery in 1971, carrying the church’s tradition of neighbors helping neighbors into a new generation.

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Frippery Volunteering Today

Behind The Frippery’s success has always been a remarkable line of women devoted to helping others. Barbara Kerner Hart brought the original idea to life, organizing the shop for its 1971 opening. Around 1973, she passed the responsibility to Ruth L. Crumpacker, who spent the next six and a half years building The Frippery into a thriving community ministry.

By 1992, Shirlee Greves was at the helm, carrying its mission forward until her passing in 2005. That year, Lisa Ingram Renaud of Bedminster took over the leadership, and more than two decades later, Lisa continues to guide the volunteers and preserve the warm, neighbor-helping-neighbor tradition that has defined The Frippery from the beginning.

Watchung’s Frippery’s volunteers added a wonderfully personal touch to the shop’s charitable mission. On each of the 21 volunteers’ birthdays, the birthday volunteer selects a favorite charity to receive a donation from The Frippery’s proceeds. Over the years, funds and supplies have also supported Hammer and Help, Star-Fish, FISH, the Boy Scouts, Salvation Army, National Huntington’s Disease Association, Church World Service, Lyons Veterans Hospital, Family Development Center, Grant Avenue Community Center, Sherman Community Center, Montgomery Medical Home, Geraldine Thompson Home, and Covenant House, to name just a few.

Our Frippery Treasure Hunt Photo Collection

When you walk into the Frippery, you can’t help but be a bit overwhelmed by the variety and quantity of all the clothing and household treasures, making it way better than any garage sale you’ve ever been to… bring a BIG shopping bag. And it’s great when they create a section specifically for the next big holiday, so make sure you stop by often.

Ever Been? What Did You Find?

Do you remember shopping, donating, or volunteering at The Frippery? The Mr. Local History Project would love to hear your stories and see any early photographs of “The Frip” and its volunteers. Just drop us a note here.

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The Frippery also has a special connection to the Mr. Local History family. Brooks Betz’s cousin, Lisa Ingram Renaud, has devoted countless volunteer hours to keeping “The Frip” organized, stocked, and serving the community. Lisa and her fellow volunteers continue the tradition established in 1971, proving that this little Watchung treasure is powered not simply by donated goods, but by local people generously donating their time. And once in a while, we even have time for a Chimney Rock “Epic Pizza” while catching up on local happenings.

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Want More Watchung History?

Want to see more about Watchung’s history? Arcadia’s Image of America series is a great start. Also check out the Watchung Historical Committee, which preserves and shares the borough’s history through its collections and the Texier House Museum; learn more at WatchungHistory.org

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