Peninsula In Passage

Alison Dodson

A. Dodson’s, a tropically turquoise cottage, is hard to miss even though it’s tucked off Bridge Road in Bennett’s Creek. The gift and interior design shop lures shoppers looking for “something different.” Alison Dodson, the interior designer who owns the shop, has a lifelong connection to the community. She grew up in the business.

My mother had a store, “Once Upon a Time” on the corner of 17 and Crittenden Road. I grew up on Portsmouth Boulevard in Chesapeake and graduated from Western Branch High in 1991. But the store was really where I grew up. I used to play in my mother’s turquoise and cream station wagon parked at the store. After a stint working for LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton in New York City, Dodson, came home to open her own business that employs five or six people. Her shop blends the trendy and the classic. A widget cubby from the Skippy peanut butter plant in Portsmouth, a cooler from Boney’s Place and other antiques find a working home there with vintage chests and benches displaying gifts, home décor and accessories. I never thought that this area would not support a store. My mom’s success was impressive. She opened in 1975 and moved to this location 1987. Then I transitioned into the current A. Dodson’s in 2003. The A is for Alice, my mother. My business has tripled since I opened and 2011 was our best year so far. We are a changing community with lots of people moving in from Virginia Beach who think this is country. Maybe it’s the New Yorker in me but I look forward to the changes and growth. I’d like to see more local retailers like us. It’s important to give back to the community. We have a monthly charity that our customers support by rounding up their bill to benefit local nonprofits.

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