Antique shopping in WNC a popular pastime
Shoppers can find pieces ranging from Revolutionary and Civil War memorabilia or Cherokee craft works to 18th Century French furniture.
Antiquing offers an element of the unknown to shopping: you never know what you might find. “Mostly, people enjoy the thrill of the hunt,” said Casey Queen, co-owner of The Queen’s Junque in Dillsboro. “Finding something unique with its own history is exciting.”
Indeed, the common thread between antique proprietors and their customers is discovering the unique history embodied in each piece. “There’s nothing like a piece of furniture that has been used and touched by people for hundreds of years. You can’t mass produce that,” said Sally Johannessen, owner of Dovetail Antiques in Cashiers.
Shoppers hitting the antique stores in Jackson County often fall into a few different categories: second-home owners, vacationers or day-trippers visiting from near by. “A lot of my customers are second-home owners looking to fill their new houses,” said Cherie Tibbetts, co-owner of Vivianne Metzer Antiques in Cashiers. “I also do a lot of work with designers and decorators working throughout the region.”
Antiques can add a more refined and lived-in quality to newer homes. “An antique piece of furniture can instantly make a new house feel like it’s been a family-owned home for generations,” said Johannessen of Dovetail Antiques.
In addition to part-time residents, folks vacationing in the area or just visiting for the day often find a treasure they want for their home. “I ship antiques all over the country,” said Skip Ryan, owner of Ryan and Company and the Catbird Seat in Cashiers.
Local residents also frequent some of the shops and enjoy a friendly, first-name relationship with the shopkeepers. “It’s fun to just go see what you can find and talk to the shopkeepers,” said Sabrina Shelton, a Jackson County resident. “I always learn something about the pieces.”
Jackson County is home to Cashiers, one of the more recognized antiques destinations in the region. “Cashiers and Highlands are one of the best antiques areas in Western North Carolina,” said Ryan. Cashiers shops cater largely to second-home owners and visitors, often offering a focus on specific types of antiques, such as 18th and 19th century French, English and American furniture, porcelains, lighting and accessories. Antiques enthusiasts can also have a fun evening out at an auction. Something Old, another shop in Cashiers, hosts summer auctions every Friday evening from June through August. It is “a fun party atmosphere,” according to shop owner Phil Montheith.
Folks hunting for antiques in the lower altitudes of Jackson County will score plenty of interesting finds at shops including the Nichols House in downtown Sylva, Queen’s Junque in Dillsboro, the Old Mill 1886 in Whittier or the Old School Antique Mall on U.S. 441. Each shop houses a unique mix of furniture and smaller pieces. Even some of the shops’ buildings have a history.
The Nichols House, built in 1908, was the family home of Dr. Nichols, a Sylva physician around the turn of the century. The beadboard walls and creaky wood floors provide a perfect showcase for the store’s wares. The Old Mill 1886 functioned as a working grist mill for almost 100 years, and visitors can view the original grinding stone, grain shoots and other parts of the mill. “We are a destination shop,” said owner Noel Blakely, who once traveled with the Antiques Road Show. “People come here to see the building and look for things they won’t find anywhere else.”
Yet another resource for antique collectibles are the three shops in downtown Sylva kept by folks who started their business off as a hobby and a love of history. Arsenal Artifacts, Jones Country Store, and the Tuckasegee Trader all offer collectible pieces, many specific to a certain time or region. Howard Alligood Jr., co-owner of Arsenal Artifacts, is an expert in Civil War-era pieces. The shop houses rifles and swords used in the war, artillery pieces, original salt-glazed pottery from the era, and more. The Tuckaseegee Trader showcases owner Steve Lott’s interest in early Southern artifacts, including a large selection of antique handmade Appalachian musical instruments. Marion Jones, of Jones Country Store and Museum, is passionate about original tools and toys. Much of his collection adorns the walls and ceilings of Nick and Nate’s restaurants in Waynesville and Sylva, displaying what he jokingly called his “‘inferior’ decorating skills.” Jones is also devoted to preserving pieces of area history whenever he can, housing, among other local items, an old whisky still and the original Dillsboro Post Office.
Whether you are searching for something in particular or just looking around, you just might find a treasure somewhere in these mountains. Happy hunting.
