| The Old School Antique Mall is really located
in an old school built by the WPA in 1939. The original rock building
housed 6 classrooms and an auditorium/gymnasium combination.
In 1952, 4 additional classrooms were added
to the south end of the building. The school served grades 1 through
8 in the "Savannah Community" of Jackson County, North Carolina.
In 1973, after 33 years of existence, the school was abandoned and sold
at public auction.
In 1976, the school was bought by the present
owners, Wade & Brenda Ford and the Old School Antique Mall has become
a quality antique mall whose reputation has spread by word of mouth via
the visitors who come each year to enjoy the beautiful Smoky Mountain area
and to visit our antique mall.
Wade & Brenda Ford - Owners
-
Wade & Brenda are both originally from
south Florida. When they began running the mall in 1976, the "mall"
concept for antiques was just beginning. Amazingly, the mall concept
took off and even more amazing is the fact that the Ford's have worked
together for 25 years, and they are still alive to talk about it.
When the mall is open for the season (April
- November), they can be found at the check out or helping customers find
just the right item. In the winter, Wade can frequently be found
building showcases and Brenda not far behind - painting them (Naturally,
more paint on her than on anything else).
In their time off, they still love to go "antiqueing"
and are always looking for new dealers with quality items. They also
live in the Old School in 3 converted classrooms. The traffic on
the way to work (up the hall) certainly beats any commute. |
