BARB BARRETT/The Luminary Donna McGarvey, owner of Donna's Gifts and Gallery in downtown Hughesville, is retiring this year. Her shop will remain open on weekends until the building is sold. She has been in business for 25 years.

HUGHESVILLE – Retirement calls to another long standing business in downtown Hughesville. Donna McGarvey, business owner for 25 years, shares space in her country gift shop located at 16 N. Main Street with her husband, George who sells quality antiques.

The McGarveys purchased the building on the corner of Main and Water Streets which is now for sale. “It is a great location,” she said and there is a long standing tenant upstairs. According to McGarvey, the building was once home to Ashkar’s clothing, STEP, Inc., the Rescue Workers and the unemployment office.

McGarvey’s experience in retailing began when she was the manager of the gift shop at the Williamsport Hospital. When she met Ron Arthur, Donna started her retail business in 1992 at Tanner’s Place in Muncy Valley. “I knew it would be country because of where we lived,” she said. Her shop was next to Arthur’s art gallery and soon McGarvey was running that shop as well.

Three years later after the building sold, she opened another shop at 67 N. Main Street in Hughesville. At that time she was framing art prints from well known artists, some on a national level and changed the name from Donna’s Gift Shop to Donna’s Gifts & Gallery.

Shortly after that, the opportunity came to purchase the building at 16 N. Main Street with wide open window space. “I have been here 18 years now,” said McGarvey. The building that is well over 100 years old, needed some work so the McGarveys invested in a new furnace, new roof and new flooring. “It was pretty grim when we first came here,” she added.

The couple reside in Hughesville and their daughter lived upstairs for awhile before purchasing her own home. “I had a real short commute.”

Over the years, many loyal customers would stop by Donna’s Gifts & Gallery to purchase candles, cute cards, Willow angels, and home specialty decor items from a wide selection of country collections. “I’ve had a lot of customers and friends, and I am going to miss them.”

Several regular customers have told the McGarveys they will miss the shop. “Even young mothers in their 20’s remember being here with their mothers,” said Donna who is hoping that another shop will “fill in the void.”

George will be retiring from his full time job at Penn Recycling in August and they plan on spending time with their son in South Carolina. George will continue selling his antiques at the Silver Moon in Lewisburg where he has been a vendor for the past nine years.

There is still some time to visit Donna’s Gifts & Gallery. There are some seasonal items available, more cards, sun catchers, garden flags, art signs and many gift items. Everything but the antiques is discounted at fifty percent.

The shop will remain open on Thursdays and Fridays from 10 to 5 and Saturdays from 10 to 3 until the building sells according to the McGarveys.