BY MAGGIE BEAMGUARD, Insider Editor
When the old Stanley Furniture Factory was demolished in February 2020, the West End/Seven Lakes community got its first major glimpse of the impact to come with the widening extension of N.C. 211.
The new road construction has been pushed until after the U.S. Open in 2024. But until then, the NCDOT contines making right of way acquisitions and clearing the path.
Another landmark across from the former furniture factory on Mode Road is soon slated for teardown. You likely know it as the Pastimes antique store, but old-timers will remember when it was once the Red and White Grocery store, owned and operated by Leslie and Nympie Gordon. Local children would get their candy there, and farm workers would stop in to pick up lunch.
For the last 17 years, Lonnie and LouAnn Matthews operated their family antique business at the location. Their daughter Kim Graham pitched in through the years and learned the business. Now she and her dad are partners.
With the state’s acquisition of the property and the looming demolition, Graham and Matthews decided that Pastimes would have a future at a new location. Despite wanting to stay in the West End/Seven Lakes area, they were unable to find something that would accommodate the 6,000 square feet of space they needed. After hunting for over a year, they found a spot in Southern Pines that will have room for all 30 of their vendors.
The doors will open at the new location at 101 Perry Drive on June 1, with a grand re-opening planned for June 2.
The move comes with mixed feelings.
“We’re really sad about leaving because we have a lot of fun memories especially with my mom and the community. Most of our dealers are from the area, so it’s been an amazing area to have been in for 17 years,” said Graham.
But there are exciting things to come.
“Things will be a little different and we are excited about that. We are going to have some new stuff in addition to all our regular vendors. Our antiques and everything will be the same, but at the front of the store we’re going to have some new items including some soaps, bath bombs, tshirts, a pet section and other things. So we are going to change it up a bit.”
Graham and her dad did their homework to prepare for the grand reopening.
“Dad and I have spent about the last four months traveling to every antique mall in North Carolina — just looking around to see what they do,” she says. “We didn’t want to change too much, because we’ve been there 17 years and things have been great. So, we’re keeping to some of the traditions that we have, but we’re definitely gonna add some new things, too. So with the new move we’re gonna make some new changes.”
They hope the new location in a busier part of town will bring in some new customers, but Graham wants current customers to know that there is plenty to love about the new place.
“All our fabulous vendors will be moving with us. So all the amazing things customers saw and loved and shopped at Pastimes in West End will be moving with us to Southern Pines. And our two fabulous employees that people come and just chat with will be going with us too,” she assures. “We’re adding a lot of great new things for them, but we’re keeping things the same too so we want everybody to come out and see us at the new location.”
If we need proof that in the lyrics of Peter Allen “everything old is new again,” we only need to watch Pastimes antiques make a new start.
Contact Maggie Beamguard at (910) 693-2496 or maggie@thepilot.com.
