A Couple’s Small-Town Makeover

After a successful career in investigative services in Washington, D.C., Terri Wesselman and her husband, Julien Patterson, decided to settle down in Irvington. Initially drawn to the area by the Tides Inn, the couple had been weekending in the Northern Neck since the late ’90s.

“There was something about the area that was quiet but cosmopolitan,” says Wesselman. “You have so many people with all kinds of backgrounds, it brings a cosmopolitan feel to a very rural area.”

Despite its worldly residents, Wesselman and Patterson noted a lack of amenities—good coffee, art galleries, boutiques, and entertainment. Ever the entrepreneurs, they opened Object Arts and More, a fine arts gallery in a converted gas station, now in its 12th year. Wesselman says the gallery serves as a community hub.

Once the art deficit was addressed, Wesselman turned to housewares, opening Irvington Home Goods. “There was no place to get [tableware],” she says. “People who live in the Northern Neck and weekenders like to entertain, so this shop has everything you need to entertain.” The couple also opened a clothing shop, Sweet Tea Boutique, and a restaurant, The Office Bistro, whose newly renovated private space is booking up quickly for the holidays.

But their biggest venture was Compass Entertainment Complex, a 28,000 square foot entertainment center with batting cages, mini-golf, go-karts, food, and a six-screen movie theater. The concept was born from a need for something everyone could enjoy, regardless of age. “Our county supervisor says it’s a place for everyone,” says Wesselman. “Retirees tell us, ‘My grandkids never wanted to visit in the summer, and now they do.’”

Though technically retirees themselves, Wesselman and Patterson aren’t slowing down. They have one more project in the works, though Wessselman is tight-lipped on the details. “We call it Project Omega because it’s our last one.”

This article originally appeared in the October 2025 issue.