 The drapery had a gabled roof, a generous twenty-eight feet by twenty-six feet building footprint and served as both a business and place of residence for Mary and Ellen in the upstairs rooms.In 1851, when Ellen fell ill to tuberculosis, Mary nursed her cousin and after her passing, continued to work alone in the shop where the business continued to grow and Mary had to have the building extended and hire a sales assistant.An 1853 Wellington Almanack lists her shop as one of the most popular stores in the region.