Stop and Shop

Discover a treasure trove of English antiques, Georgian silver, and pie to die for off 1-64 in Shelbyville, Kentucky.

I had heard about Wakefield-Scearce (pronounced "scarce") in Shelbyville, Kentucky, but was unprepared for the blinding array of silver and the rich gleam of antiques that hit me with Antiques Roadshow force as I entered.

I didn't know which way to go first in this 40,000-square-foot gallery that fills up a 200-year-old former girls' school. Thankfully, designer Patti Wilson came to my rescue.

"You're in the main gallery," she explained, smiling at my confusion. "Mostly Georgian antiques are in here, and downstairs is the silver vault. There's so much here under one roof; you can spend an entire day in just this building."

That's exactly what I planned to do.

Main Gallery

I began my explorations by trolling the silver vault, first coming upon an impressive epergne. (I had to look it up. It's a centerpiece with arms. This one cost $7,500.) Silver trays and flatware glimmered, their antique patinas perfect. One Georgian Sheffield entrée dish from 1830 England cost $635, and an Edwardian sauce ladle was $135.

Almost blinded by the sparkling silver, I came upstairs to the mezzanine, which offers gift items and other reasonably priced articles such as candles and party napkins.

Dining in Southern Style

I made my way to the school's restored dining hall, now called Science Hill Inn Restaurant.

Patti said not to pass up the brown sugar pie. She also recommended the Marco Sandwich ($10.25), which consists of sliced roast beef on corn-bread, smothered in gravy. Delicious. The entrée proved just filling enough to leave room for that incredible pie, topped with real whipped cream.

Linens, More Silver, and Clothing

Running out of time, I just breezed through the The Linen Press (aprons and place mats in a rainbow of colors) and the ladies' and men's clothing areas, but managed to stop long enough to find a dainty sterling silver chain ($10) in The New Silver Shop.

Pat Burnett, president of Wakefield-Scearce, asked me if I had found everything I needed. "If you don't see anything you like, just ask about the warehouse down the street," he said, smiling. "There are three more floors chock-full of antiques."

The motto of Wakefield-Scearce Galleries is "Spend a pleasant day in the country." I needed a pleasant week in the country to do this spot justice.

WANDA MCKINNEY

Wakefield-Scearce Galleries: 525 Washington Street, Shelbyville, KY 40065; (502) 633-4382 or www.wake fieldscearce.com. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Science Hill Inn Restaurant: Open 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday and 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday. For reservations call (502) 633-2825.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Oct 2004
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