Antiques Roadshow

from Belfast & The Wonders of Waldo County 2021

by Belfast The Bay And Beyond Magazine

The Show Must Go On

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A TREASURE THAT'S GOT A HISTORY ALL ITS OWN, HEAD TO SEARSPORT.

In the late 19th century, Searsport was one of the most prosperous ports in the world. The deep sheltered harbor opening to Penobscot Bay made it a global center for maritime trade. Dozens of shipyards dotted its shores. Sea captains launched wooden schooners bound for Europe and the Far East, and returned with pottery, exotic spices, and other treasures to trade, as well as souvenirs to furnish the gracious mansions they built along the waterfront.

Though Searsport’s peak had passed by the turn of the 20th century as steel hulls supplanted wooden ships and the railroad transformed trade, the town still holds a trove of relics from its prosperous past. Once dubbed “Antiques Capital of Maine,” the one-mile stretch along Route 1 between Belfast and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge is a treasure-hunter’s paradise where you can find everything from $5 knickknacks and vintage baseball cards to a 220-year-old chest of drawers hewn from solid tiger maple with all its original brass hardware, for $4,400.

Each shop offers a little something different. Pumpkin Patch Antiques has a vast selection of 18th- and 19th- century showpieces. Next door, Dennis Raleigh Antiques and Folk Art specializes in period weather vanes, trade signs, and portrait miniatures. Over at Searsport Antique Mall, which is open year-round, one could spend hours poring through vintage buttons, baskets, figurines, and century-old quilts carried by the more than 70 dealers who show their wares there.

At DownEast Auctions, owner Mark Bradstreet specializes in coins, currency, and collectibles auctions while his wife, Linda, sells vintage clothing. Last summer, his catalog included a 1652 Massachusetts three-pence silver coin, one of the first coins minted in the English colonies. Gaul’s Antiques and Maine Street Vintage offer rugs and furniture, as well as an extensive selection of pattern glass, silver, and linens. Nearly all the items in the shop come from local homes.

Behind the counter at all of these unique shops, you'll find people who are passionate about history and collecting. That includes Phyllis Sommer, who has been operating Pumpkin Patch Antiques since 1975. She loves to examine furniture to determine which tools were used, which woods were chosen, and the style of joinery that holds a piece together.

"It’s living history,” Sommer says. “These objects are teaching us about what values people had centuries ago, what they cherished and what they worked hard to preserve, and what skill sets they had. The fact that some of these things were passed down for more than 200 years means that it’s a big deal.”

BEYOND SEARSPORT

The antiques roadshow doesn’t end in Searsport. At The Red Barn Marketplace in Lincolnville, in a restored horse barn dating back to 1880, you'll find two floors of vintage décor and collectibles from nearly 30 vendors, alongside Maine-made gifts, plus a bakery serving up delicious treats. Kendrick’s Antiques in Belfast offers a wide variety of stoneware, pottery, glassware, and furniture. At the non-profit Old School Maine, also in Belfast, you'll find a wide variety of vintage collectibles, including old comic books, vinyl records, and sports cards, plus penny candy. Owners Josh Solebello and Regina Quattrucci donate all proceeds to local schools and programs and organizations that enhance opportunities for kids. “We wanted to take our love of finding cool, unique things, to give back and fill in gaps in the community,” Solebello says