CULLMAN – There is a new business in town and it is full of antiques and Cullman history. The Antique Market opened its beautiful old doors on February 3, 2015. It is located in the heart of the Downtown Historic District of Cullman.
“The store is nice and quaint,” said Proprietor Beth Veigl. “I do have several booth vendors; some of them have antique furniture, it’s mostly antiques. There is also some antique china and things like that. We are going to be getting some local artwork in here as well,” she smiled happily.
What makes The Antique Market innovative is that much of its construction is material from Cullman’s historic buildings that were either damaged or destroyed during the tornadoes of 2011.
“We tried to salvage pieces from around town after the tornado and things like that,” Veigl said.
“We got what we could within reason because of safety concerns, but we got what we could.”
There is a huge door that came from the old Ford Motor Company, which later became Little Bit of Everything and is now home to The All Steak. The door weighs over 950 lbs and is now used to close off the store’s storage room.
The aged beams that were the bones in the old, original store were taken down and used to make the counter space where the cash register is located. Edgar Veigl, Beth’s husband, planed the 20-foot beams himself and constructed the counters.
A true must see is the glorious display located behind the cash register.
“It is a Hugo Buettner,” she explained. “It was originally located in the Buettner Jeweler building. We bought it from them when they were going to lease the building. It took Edgar a couple weeks to get it all over here and installed. It has the original glass and each are counterweighted with 80 lbs. Hugo Buettner’s plaque is still there above the mirror.”
The beautiful shop has been created with plenty of Cullman’s memories, but there is something else that is very different than any other place in town. Just like the days when the old antiques were sold as new, the shopkeeper’s family lived above the store.
Some things never change, and in this case, it is perfect for the Veigl family.
Step back in time and take a trip to The Antique Market of Cullman.
They are located at 220 1st Avenue SE, Cullman, AL 35055. Call them at 256-345-6204 and e-mail the store at theantiquemarket@live.com or visit their website at TheAntiqueMarketofCullman.com. Follow them on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheAntiqueMarketofCullman.
Store hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
