A Fantastic Voyage to the Fantastic Umbrella Factory
The Charlestown spot has been a cultural touchstone for locals and tourists for nearly six decades.
The 19th century farmstead is dotted with extensive gardens and notable trees, including a dawn redwood. Photograph by Wolf Matthewson
OK, lets just get this out of the way: There was never an umbrella factory at the Fantastic Umbrella Factory.
There was, however, a founder — Robert Bankel — who, inspired by a trip to San Francisco, christened his fledgling shop with the fanciful name in 1968.
At least that’s how current owner David Turano remembers it.
Five goats, one emu and several varieties of chickens coexist at the Fantastic Umbrella Factory. Photograph by Wolf Matthewson
Since then, the Charlestown landmark has seen businesses come and go, a fire ravage one of its buildings, and countless animals — emus, turkeys, sheep — wander through the expansive grounds, but the constants have remained: the colorful moniker, the peaceful, artsy vibes, and the families who return, year after year, to wind their way through the magical gardens and shops connected by crushed-seashell paths.
Set on a 19th century farmstead, the five-acre site is a common destination for Rhode Island residents and tourists, especially in the summer, when there are only so many days one can go to the beach. Several shops — selling everything from authentic wampum jewelry and handcrafted pottery to gauzy skirts and imported candies — are nestled throughout, surrounded by lovingly tended gardens, grassy expanses for resting and fenced-off areas for the goats, George the emu, and chickens. (Though you’ll tend to find the chickens roaming free, eagerly accepting handfuls of feed from giggling children.)
The bucolic, open-air setting is a refreshing pace from today’s carefully curated, Instagram-friendly malls. There’s not a florescent bulb in sight, and you’ll find grandparents and grandchildren walking together, taking in the colorful koi fish and frogs in a fountain ringed by pink and cobalt hydrangeas, or talking in soothing tones to the goats.
The family-friendly atmosphere is no coincidence: the Fantastic Umbrella Factory is a family affair, run by David and his wife Linda, with daughter Elinora running the main store, Small Axe Productions, and son Gino taking care of the properties.
“My wife and I are trying to back off as much as we can at this point, but we’re still pretty busy with it,” David says.
David, a potter, has been there since 1975, selling his wares at Small Axe, the site’s anchor store. Bankel put the site up for sale in 2010 and had a few bites, but nothing panned out. He asked David to make an offer, and accepted it.
“We had been there for so long; we were really the best people to take it,” says David, who, when he’s not at the shop, can be found playing bass for the Westerly-based reggae-ska band, Soulshot.
Photograph by Wolf Matthewson
The shops are open year-round, but business spikes in the warmer months, when the gardens are in bloom, and especially on overcast days when folks forgo the beach.
Small Axe has evolved over the years from a small pottery collective to a two-level store packed with David’s wood-fired stoneware, as well as clothing, jewelry, musical instruments and other handmade goods from around the world. The General Store — the building closest to Old Post Road — is home to funny gifts, knick-knacks, tarot cards and things you just can’t find anywhere else. (I found a wind-up pigeon here for my kiddo, who adores pigeons. You can’t get that at Target!)
Allen Hazard, a member of the Narragansett Tribe, owns The Purple Shell, a Native American trading post stocked with his handcrafted wampum beads, jewelry, walking sticks and other Native goods. You’ll find vivid linen skirts, sundresses and wraps with a groovy vibe at Frills, and if you need a pick-me-up, just head up the stairs to Bee Suite, a country store packed with nostalgic and imported candies, local chocolates and enough sodas to make your dentist chuckle with glee.
The newest store, Lil’ Rhody Toys, opened last fall and features goodies and toys to please all ages, while the Block Prints Graphics cart — just beside the fountain — sells Nancy Cook’s original designs on T-shirts and dresses, and her husband Tom’s hand-carved pendants.
Unfortunately, the Rustic Garden, which sold a collection of hearty plants and quirky planters and garden decor, won’t be open this season, David says. But local henna artist Maria Ledwith will be back with her long-lasting designs and glitter tattoos, much to the delight of young children and preteens — and maybe even a mom or two — fresh from a day at the beach.
The Purple Shell is stocked with handcrafted wampum beads, jewelry, walking sticks and other Native goods. Photograph by Wolf Matthewson
And, of course, the animals are always delighted to see visitors. George, the emu — who’s at least thirty-five years old (!!) — has been lonely since his friend Lily (another male emu) died two years ago, but the five goats David and Linda brought to keep him company have raised his spirits. And judging from the smiles from the children huddled around the fence during my last visit, oohing and aahing at the small furry friends and reaching in their little palms for licks, they’re a big hit with shoppers as well.
All ages love the bamboo forest — the towering stalks provide a much-needed respite of cool shade during the sweltering summer, and kiddos enjoy weaving through the maze and contorting their little bodies into the lean-tos found here and there. And the gardens dazzle in all seasons: In the spring, daffodils shoot forth like blazing yellow trumpets and lilac wisteria winds around fenceposts; hydrangeas burst into furious pink and blue riots from every corner come summertime; and giant candy-colored dahlias remind shoppers in the fall that far from being over, the summer is a season that marches on slowly and must be savored, with temperatures often soaring into the seventies well into September and October.
And the Turanos will be there, year-round, a constant presence — welcoming guests into their little corner of South County that they’ve tended for decades. 4820 Old Post Rd., Charlestown, 364-1060, fantasticumbrellafactory.com
Small Axe Productions sells imported gifts, clothing, hand-crafted pottery and musical instruments. Photograph by Wolf Matthewson
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Shop Small
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NORTH
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The store at the WaterFire Arts Center
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SOUTH
The Current
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EAST
Beehive Handmade
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Matriarch
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Wink
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