Dedham Exchange

Dedham Exchange is a nonprofit artisan gift shop in Dedham run by volunteers with help from a staff. It represents about 200 artisans who hand-craft ceramics, glassware, woven textiles, woodwork, and hand-sewn and hand-knitted baby items, alongside a curated mix of commercial gifts, housewares and decor, including Simon Pearce pieces. Shoppers come for wedding, baby shower, housewarming, birthday, holiday and hostess gifts, as well as jewelry, bath products, toys, books and Dedham-themed gifts.

Its roots go back to 1914, when the Contentment Tea Room and Women’s Exchange opened in two rooms of a private home in Dedham. That venture combined a tearoom, food shop and handiwork shop and gave women a source of income at a time when jobs open to them were scarce. After several moves, the Exchange settled in 1948 into a small barn, which it bought in 1953 and still occupies. The merchandise changes often, and the shop carries holiday and seasonal items.

What to Know

• Proceeds are donated to local organizations focused on children and challenged adults.
• The Exchange has awarded college scholarships to local high school students.
• Its donation recipients have included the National Federation of Woman’s Exchanges.
• The shop is also known by its longer name, the Dedham Women’s Exchange.