In the little town of Plymouth, North Carolina there is a small storefront called the Artisan Market and Riverview Cafe. We first arrived at Plymouth when it was almost pitch black so we were unable to read the part of the sign that said “Riverview Cafe”. So when we first walked into the building it was a beautiful surprise to see.
Unfortunately, the cafe was closed since it was dinner time. But we were lucky enough to be granted permission to walk around and see the beautiful Roanoke River from the large windows at the back of the building. When you first walk into the actual building, you are greeted by an employee and then just overwhelmed by the beauty of all the antique pieces laid out in front of you. The whole store had one main room. It was then split up into different sections that were categorized by the type of commodities sold. In one corner there were delicate crystal glassware pieces whereas in the corner across the room, there was an “at home” build-a-bear workshop.
When we were first walking around we just tried to get a feel for the types of work they were selling. I was intrigued by the antiques they were displaying, there were mini pianos, brass candlesticks, ruby earrings, and even more beautifully conserved pieces. While I was drawn to all of the shiny items, I was even more interested in the sections close to the café.
There were hand-sewn baby clothes in one corner as well as deflated teddy bears which were able to be stuffed with that “at-home” build-a-bear workshop I mentioned earlier. At the entrance of the store, all beautifully handmade ceramic pieces were so delicate. And then in one last corner, there were hand-painted tumblers, like the cups you would see on Etsy, that were glittered and painted the specific way a customer would want.
While talking with the employee there at the time, she told us that all of the items sold, which were not antiques, were made by local homeowners. This Artisan Market is the place for locals to share their passions with the rest of the town. The creativity and craftsmanship that the artists contain are astonishing. And had I not been on a school trip, and had the money, I would have bought at least 10 items from that store. It was so easy to see that everyone took so much pride and effort into making their pieces that I wanted to take all of it home.
-- Caroline Kilborn