Hammertown Is Closing and Joan Osofsky Has a Lot to Say About It

For more than 40 years, Joan Osofsky built something rare: a store that felt like a home. Hammertown, which began in a Pine Plains barn in 1985, grew into one of the Hudson Valley's most beloved design institutions, defining a regional aesthetic that became known as "modern country." Now, after six years of searching for a buyer, Joan has made the bittersweet decision to close. In this conversation with Emily Sachar, Joan reflects on what it took to build Hammertown from scratch, the instincts and luck that guided her, what she's heard from the community as the doors close, and what comes next. Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio