Antiques and Art

Recalling our barn before the tornado

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1986, when we purchased this former dairy farm, neither the house nor the barn had been occupied for decades. The barn had most recently been used by a local mason for "storage" and was in a state of abject disrepair. At that time, most of our guests didn't dare to step inside, the floor being randomly punctuated by missing timbers, inviting a precipitous drop to the basement several feet below. As time and funds allowed, we replaced the floor, renewing its 3800 square feet by consolidating timbers that were healthy and then covering the remainder with new material from a local sawmill. After we had made it safe and secure, we began to enclose a showroom and an office on the north side of the barn.

On this, the seventh anniversary of the tornado, we've assembled a few of the hundreds of photographs we took of those spaces when it was the base of our antiques business. Perhaps you'll recall being in that space. Perhaps something in a picture now lives in your home. In any case, we hope you enjoy this look at our past.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Our main showroom, ready to be stocked

Getting started

A fireplace mantel from the house, anachronistic in our home, at home in a corner of our showroom

The jewelry department in its own, very busy corner

Looking through one of the showroom's double doors

The hand-planed, beaded board wall destined to reappear in our new barn

The west wall

The entry

One of many court cupboards that passed through the old barn

Another beaded board wall

Center and south bays set up for an important family celebration

A comfortable corner

Set up for an opening

The northeast corner, as we rememeber it

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Click HERE to visit the J&J Maggs Antiques home page.