Antiquing in York, Pa. and Along the Way

DESTINATION: York, PA

IN SEARCH OF: Architectural salvage for c.1833 house we are restoring and Antiques.

We set out semi early Saturday morning from suburban Washington, D.C. for York, Pa. It’s a rather stressful drive, having to travel both the D.C. and Baltimore beltways. But once you get onto Interstate 83, and reach the outer parts of Baltimore County, it is really beautiful. Large horse farms and old stone homes are visible from the road this time of year. Once Spring is here they will be hidden again. The traffic thins out the closer we get to Pennsylvania, and after crossing the State line we see a sign for an Antique Mall in Shrewsbury. Of course we have to stop.

Less than one mile off I83, exit 1 The Shrewsbury Antique Center was a real find. The building was a chicken coop in the early 1900’s, now the renovated structure has 40 dealers. They had a very nice selection of antiques, with minimal “collectibles” and one dealer had an impressive collection of mid-century modern (my childhood passed before me). And to make it even better the prices were quite reasonable. They are open every day from 10-5. We purchased a few things, debated whether to visit the other shops in town, but decided to head on to York. Check out the Shrewsbury Antique Center web site: www.shrewsburyantiquecenter.com.

It was a short drive from Shrewsbury to York. If you have never been there, here’s a brief introduction: It was the first capital of the U.S. The Continental Congress met there in 1777 and adopted the Articles of Confederation. The city has 17 historical markers and 35 brass or bronze tablets marking historical events or places. So, LOTS to see and do for the history nuts. If history is not your forte, then you might want to check out: Bob Hoffman Weightlifting Hall of Fame 717-767-6481 (free); Harley-Davidson, Inc, Guided tours through motorcycle assembly plant and the Rodney Gott Antique Motorcycle Museum, 717-848-1177 (free). There is something for everyone!

There are a fair number of restaurants in York. Some are only open during the week and some only for dinner, so you might want to call ahead to check. (Yahoo! Maps can provide a list of restaurants and their location shown on the map of York). We decided to try The Harp and Fiddle an authentic Irish pub. Located at 110 N. George Street, the pub opened in December 2004. The bar was custom built in Ireland, there are booths, window seating and two fireplaces. The food is good and service is friendly. Visit their web site for more information: www.theharpandfiddle.com .

After lunch it was on to the shopping. First stop, Architectural Warehouse, 224 North George Street. Doors, windows, shutters, fireplace mantles, sinks, tubs, hardware, you name it they probably have it. We were looking for rim locks, and found one at a price that made the trip worthwhile. Then on to the antiques. The Antique Center of York, located at 190 Arsenal Road is open every day from 10-5. The mall had mostly vintage and collectible items, not really what we were looking for. We headed out of town on Route 30, but plan to return in early March when York will be host to The Antique Show at York and The York Folk Art and Craft Show. The antique show features 18^th, 19^th and early 20^th Century antiques, art and collectibles. It is at the Memorial Hall West, York Expo Center.
The Folk Art and Craft Show is a juried invitational show with 110 of today’s finest traditional artisans offering American style crafts, folk art and handcrafted furniture. Visit their site at www.goodrichpromotions.com.

From York, we continued on towards Gettysburg (not our destination today, but more on that another time). Traveling on the quaint and historic Route 30, we stopped at Abbott House Antiques in Abbottstown. The shop is located in the beautifully restored John Abbott Tavern. The shop specializes in painted country furniture, accessories for the country home and antique spectacles and other eyewear. We browsed, chatted with one of the owners regarding the shop and the restoration of the structure. Although we did not make any purchases it was a worthwhile stop on our day’s journey. The shop’s web site is hosted through www.newoxfordantiques.com. The name of the shop is Abbott House Antiques.

After a full day of antiquing, nothing hits the spot like authentic bar-b-que. And it just so happened that one of the best in this region was along our route home to suburban Washington, D.C. The name of the roadside restaurant is Chubby’s. We have been there once before and are now among the throngs of the famous and not-so-famous who love the food there. The pulled pork and beef brisket are “to die for”. We enjoyed take-out, but you can dine in too. And the sauce is also available – even in gallon size! Chubby’s is on Route 15 in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The phone is 301-447-3322.

That brings to an end our day’s adventure. We drove. We shopped. We ate. We conquered. Ready for our next adventure. Visit us next week for more. . And be sure to visit my antique shop on line at www.ComfortableStyle.com.