Rama House

Rama House was a gift shop located in Dunnkirk Square starting in 1974.

Owned by Donna Hawley (1944-01-14 - 2009-12-01) and her husband Roger Hawley (1943-03-26 - 1991-10-18), the store primarily featured India and South American textiles along with brass sculptures, wooden gift boxes, brass bells, incense burners and a wide selection of incense. At the center of the shop was a round wood table, usually covered with a couple of large colorful tapestries. Rama House also offered clothing, smoking paraphernalia, copies of High Times and other similar publications, books, posters, art prints and art cards.

Mentioned in Steven Higgs, Plan Colombia '74, Part 1. In the series "Forty Years in Bloomington: A Memoir", The Bloomington Alternative, July 26, 2009:

"Within days we landed our first retail customer -- a hip little shop called the Rama House on the first floor of the newly built Dunkirk Square. Owners Donna and Roger bought all the wall hangings we were willing to part with, placed them on a circular table in the center of the store and for the next three years helped pay their bills selling Colombian wall hangings."

Mr. Higgs also has an article in Limestone Post online magazine briefly mentioning the Hawleys as his first and best Bloomington customers.