Lily Valentine Antiques, a Mathews business since 2017, is moving from Main Street to a new location right around the corner, to 24 Church Street. A soft opening is planned for this Saturday, June 28.
Owner Becky Beckstoffer said she’ll continue to offer the antiques she has become known for, buying locally when available, but she’s also going to add retail sales of certain items. She’s starting off with a variety of off-premises wines and craft beers; some packaged food items such as chips, cookie mixes, jams, and jerky; Mathews-themed hats and T-shirts; and various household goods such as candles, wrapping paper, and greeting cards.
Also in the future are wine tastings, demonstrations by vineyards, and other events.
Beckstoffer said she had long wanted to expand, and when the 4,000-square-foot space that housed an A&P store in the 1930s went up for auction, she couldn’t resist.
For years, the building was divided into a rabbit warren of tiny offices, and Beckstoffer said the first thing she and her husband Ron did was gut it. She was delighted with what they found: original beadboard, 14-foot ceilings, graceful columns, and faux beams with complementary crown molding.
The floor-to-ceiling street-facing windows and inset entry door with matching transom, previously only serving the two front offices, can now be enjoyed from every part of the building. And if they don’t provide enough interior light, the four large skylights that were uncovered offer enough sunshine to brighten even the back corners of the structure.
Beckstoffer said there was a fire in the building at some point, and charred wood had to be demolished and rebuilt, but when she removed all the sheetrock, she found she liked the look of the charred bricks and is leaving them as-is. Two large sets of scorched metal shutters that once covered very tall windows will remain, as well, she said, adding that the roof had to be replaced because of water damage, and the skylights were outfitted with new glass.
An old outdoor walkway between Lily Valentine’s and the adjacent business, 5 Star Oriental Medicine, was roofed over long ago and at various times housed a restaurant and a dog-grooming business, said Beckstoffer, and it will now be used for storage.
Beckstoffer, her husband, and her sister Susan Carr of Alexandria, were busy moving into the new space last Friday, unpacking items, setting them up for display, and putting finishing touches on the décor. On occasion, someone would stick their head in the door and ask what was going on, and Beckstoffer would unfailingly stop what she was doing, greet them with a grin, and share the news.
