The House of Logan has been a staple of downtown Boothbay Harbor for decades. According to Boothbay Region Historical Society, the foundations of the store go back to 1928 when Ethel Drew Logan bought the building on Townsend Avenue, dubbing it the Old Curiosity Shop.

The business has undergone many changes through the years, including the introduction of clothing lines, building renovations, and multiple renamings. In 1947, the store settled on The House of Logan to reflect Ethel’s sons’ Ward "Bud" and Drew Logan’s partnership in the business. A year later, they bought what would become the Village Store. The House of Logan has further expanded since then, to Bath and Camden.

“When you're sitting around the dinner table, as a kid, and your parents are talking about the family business, it gets in your DNA,” said co-owner Sarah Wilcox. “That’s how it has longevity.” 

Wilcox and her brother Alex Logan joined the business in the 1980s. They completely took over from their parents Bud and Ann Logan shortly after. Wilcox devotes most of her time to publicity, buying women's and children's clothes and accessories, and helping out on the shop floor. Alex Logan focuses on the financial side and buying men's clothes. 

Growing up, Wilcox didn’t think she would take over the House of Logan. Wilcox graduated with a liberal arts degree from New York’s Vassar College, before moving to Boston to work at Filene's flagship location. She hadn’t planned to stay in retail but as Wilcox’s parents neared retirement she was drawn back to Midcoast Maine.

“I kind of matured and looked at my options and said, ‘This is not a bad thing to do,’” recalled Wilcox. 

In addition to Maine’s natural beauty, Wilcox values the sense of community in the region. She feels this is best reflected in the local support of the school system. Wilcox’s two children, Annie and Thomas, attended Boothbay Region High School.

“Pretty much everybody has their fingers in some kind of community relationship,” said Wilcox. “It takes a village to do all those things to raise kids, keep the school going and keep the town going.”  

The House of Logan has been able to keep going despite facing hardships like many businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wilcox said the business received an uptick in home goods sales during quarantine. Clothing took the biggest hit but sales have improved recently as people begin to host events and travel again. 

However, the store continues to face staff shortages and supply chain issues. Wilcox said the latter is particularly hard due to the time-sensitive nature of retail. 

But even as shortages require more time on the shop floor for Wilcox, she looks forward to the interesting people she gets to meet. “In a small business, there’s a lot of different hats (to wear). And it’s a people business, which is great, and I really cherish that part of it.”

Wilcox has no plans to retire soon, but hopes whoever takes over maintains the brand continuity and product quality. 

“We try and provide the best quality for the best price that we can, and offer the level of service we’ve always been known for,” said Wilcox. “It’s very hard right now but we’ll continue to work on that.”