By Kathy Onorato
Indian Trail Antiques offers “mantiques” in the basement man cave. (Kathy Onorato photo) |
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Indian Trail Antiques occupies the building formerly home to Country Farm Furniture on Sheepscot Road in Newcastle. (Photo courtesy Charles Harris) |
In the big red barn of his parents’ former business, next to the old farmhouse he grew up in, Charles Harris has begun his own business venture, which has combined his passion for automobiles with finding antiques that tell their own story.
Harris, the son of John and KoKo Harris, opened Indian Trail Antiques on June 27. The shop offers a wide range of collectibles. It occupies the former Country Farm Furniture building off Sheepscot Road in Newcastle.
Harris said his opening day was successful and many people came to see his shop, including other dealers. “The best thing was, I didn’t care if I sold one thing,” Harris said. “The reaction from the other dealers was amazing.”
Visitors were very impressed that there was a shop like his in Midcoast Maine, Harris said. “Indian Trail Antiques is much more than a store full of antiques, it’s a showplace where history is bought and sold,” Harris said.
Harris said his store is not your typical antique store. “That was my goal,” he said.
Harris said his vision for the new store was not only to sell antiques but also to offer an enjoyable experience for guests to shop in organized, themed areas. The converted, 15,000-square-foot chicken barn, built in the 1800s, displays four floors of antiques.
“Most antique shops this size rent spaces,” Harris said.
Harris said although he will take quality consignment items, he doesn’t plan to rent any space. He says its important to have a spacious area for customers to feel comfortable.
Harris has always had a passion for auto racing, extreme sports, and flying, and is a third-generation auto enthusiast. As a hobby, Harris has always bought and sold antique cars and motorcycles, which is likely his inspiration for the “mantiques” section of his new shop, which is located in the basement area.
“It’s a true man cave,” Harris said. “You will find a wide variety of items, including automobilia, vintage signs, Coke machines, juke boxes, and more that really make it hard to leave.”
The first and second floor are arranged with quality 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century furniture, as well as vintage toys, cottage and country furnishings; circus, military, and nautical items; and an art gallery.
The third floor features everything from Harley Davidson motorcycles to ceremonial funeral beds from the Ivory coast of Africa. “You will be amazed at the range of items you will see,” Harris said
A 1984 graduate of Lincoln Academy, Harris left Maine to attend college and travel. After visiting Lake Tahoe, California; Hawaii, and South Padre Island, Texas, he returned to Maine to raise a family.
Although Harris enjoyed the areas he lived, he said, “I knew I would always come home to Maine to raise a family.”
Before becoming interested in antiques, Harris made a living bartending at night so he could take advantage of the local adventures during the day.
In 1998, he married his wife, LeAnn. The couple later had two children, Chase and Tori.
Indian Trail Antiques is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Harris will accept quality consignment items during business hours or by appointment. For more information, call 586-5000.
