Businesses that flourish for 40 years offer goods and services that people value. They are also well run, nimble and are customer focused. These attributes describe the Cross and Shamrock Gift Shop in Hamilton Square.
Opened in April 1985, the store has been a mainstay in Hamilton, offering Irish and religious goods. Begun as the idea of two nurses on a lunchbreak, the store has been run by the same family, encompassing three generations.
Ann Bauersachs and her friend Anne Alloway were on lunch break from their work as nurses at Saint Francis Medical Center in Trenton, when the idea came to open a store offering Irish and goods tied to spiritual needs.
They pooled together a small nest egg and opened the Cross and Shamrock in a small storefront, nestled in between Evans Pharmacy and the Nottingham Tavern in the heart of Hamilton Square.
“It was a crazy idea, but my husband, Len, went along with it, well, because he had to!” laughs Ann Bauersachs. Len was a truck driver who ended up being a partner a few years later, when Alloway got married and stepped away from the business.
The space was small, and the inventory was smaller. “I would spread out the rosary beads in the display case, so they would look like there were more than there truly was.”
The first month was daunting as the women figured how to operate the fledgling shop. “After that first month, on Mother’s Day weekend in May, we had a really strong day at the store. That’s when I said to myself: We can really make it, and this is going to work.”
Len Bauersachs died in 2017, and had been ill for a while before that. Stepping in to manage the store was Ann and Len’s son, Tim Bauersachs. Tim grew up in the family business and had big shoes to fill.
At first he would work at the store after his day job as an attorney for Mercer County. Then a couple of years ago, he stepped away from the county job to manage the store full time.
“I could not do both. With my wife Ana Eliza, we have three young boys. It was too much, so I am here full time now,” he says.
The Cross and Shamrock carries apparel from Ireland, such as sweaters from the Irish west coast. They have clothing for children and adults. There is Irish jewelry such as the famous Claddagh rings. Irish crystal and china are also popular. Irish foods are sought after by newly immigrated and longtime residents too. The teas and candy selection are big crowd pleasers.
Ann was born in Queens, New York, with the maiden name Carolan. Len Bauersachs was of Irish heritage, with a mix of English and German. They moved to New Jersey after marriage, and settled in the University Heights section of Hamilton.
Ann says: “We grew up in Queens, in an Irish neighborhood where life revolved around the family of eight and the church.” Her parents were from the Irish counties of Meath and Cavan, which makes Ann a first-generation American.
The store in Hamilton Square was soon too small, and they moved to a larger space at Clover Square mall on Quakerbridge and Sloan roads. They would now have double the square footage, and could offer more goods. Since then, the Cross and Shamrock has moved again, and is again located in Hamilton Square, this time on Route 33.
Originally, Ann did not really know what to offer in the store.
“In the early days, I reached out to the Irish Trade Board, who were very helpful in connecting us to vendors of Irish products. I would look in the New York phone book to find vendors and wholesalers. Len would do all the financials and bookkeeping. We were quite a team,” she says.
Now Ann is semi-retired and wishes to spend more time with her grandkids, away from the store. She was there working the day of this interview, helping out with families trying on first communion clothing.
The sacrament of first communion in the Catholic faith is a formal affair. Traditions of white dresses for the girls and dapper suits for the boys has been handed down for many generations. The Cross and Shamrock is a main outfitter for these needs.
Ann says: “We start with a trunk show in January and go strong through the first communion season which will end in May.”
The other religious items available encapsulate the life of patrons, from birth, baptism, communion, confirmation, marriage and funeral goods. Parish resources are also offered, such as clergy clothing, crucifixes, goblets, hosts, and a myriad of candles. The store offers linens, oils and anything else needed for mass or ceremonies.
Ann is a parishioner of Our Lady of Sorrows Church and Tim’s family attend Saint Gregory the Great, both in Hamilton. They are also members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians on Kuser Road. Len was a past president, once honored as a Hibernian of the Year. The family was always involved with the Saint Patrick’s Day parade, where Ann and Len were honored as Grand Marshals in 2003.
Tim began at the store as soon as it was opened. He was six.
“I would do anything needed as my parents always rewarded me with a prize at completion of the work. We would vend at the Irish festivals, it seemed like every weekend in the summer. My sister Erin and I would ride in the van sitting with all the goods, to festivals from Boston, NYC, the Poconos, Jersey Shore, Delaware and Baltimore,” he says.
Now Tim handles the product mix and the more than 50 vendors needed to keep the store stocked.
“It is challenging due to working with the different currencies, tariffs, shipping and deliveries of the various goods,” he says.
Anne Alloway, a founder, has worked at the store on and off for the past decades. She now works a few days a week during her retirement. Assistant manager Jessica Irilli is also part of the extended family, and has been part of the team for the past 11 years.
Tim says: “We like to hire local high school kids and fit the hours needed to their schedules. They will sometimes work here through their college years, if the college is in the area. We will have a staff of five to seven at most times.”
Ann adds: “My granddaughter Carolan works here also. She is in high school and loves having a job here and the paycheck, so the next generation is already here.”
The Bauersachs travel to Ireland every year or two to trade shows in search of new items for the store and also to visit family. As Tim says: “We split the time working and visiting family. We always have a place to stay in Ireland.”
Tim and wife Ana Eliza, also a lawyer, have three boys: TJ, 12; Noah, 10; and Owen, 5. They are close, and consider the store a second home.
The Cross and Shamrock will celebrate its 40th anniversary throughout the months of April and May.
“With the passing of my husband, Tim has really stepped up and allowed us to keep going. Len was the backbone of the business. Tim has become that now,” Ann says. “He helped us modernize with better inventory control, a new point of sale system and extensive website of online purchases. We ship all over the country.”
Ann adds: “ I am happy. This store was my dream 40 years ago. We put our heart and soul into this, and the community responded. It is hard work, but it is fun to work with family.”
