North 27 Antique Mall A historical treasure trove
By Eli Parker Contributing Writer
Antiques provide something you won ’ t get from your typical history book . We can ’ t fully know or understand what happened in the decades before our own time , but we can see , smell , and feel a part of it when we own something from another time period .
“ I always liked antiques ,” says Brock Muse , owner of North 27 Antique Mall . “ My aunt did , my granny did , and her son did . I guess the whole family liked antiques .”
And from this family came the historical treasure trove that sits off of North Highway 27 in Somerset , Kentucky .
The business started off as a truckstop , restaurant , and dish barn built by Muse ’ s grandfather in 1958 . After Muse had graduated from Somerset High School in 1984 , he and his grandmother had the idea to take on a new venture .
“ We used to go antiquing together ,” said Muse . “ We went to the antique mall down in Burnside and she said , ‘ Would you like to open up an antique mall ?’ and I said sure .” Thus , they transformed their business into North 27 Antique Mall in 1987 , naming it after the northern part of “ Old 27 ,” where it ’ s located .
What was once a small , wayside building has since expanded into 18,000 square feet and two floors , holding over 150 booths of antiques and novelties .
Here vendors offer a wide variety of vintage , antique and collectible items . Some dealers not only come from the local area , but from other states too , such as
Tennessee , Ohio and Michigan . And their selections even range on an international level . It ’ s not everyday you can walk into a store in Kentucky and come out with an authentic cuckoo clock produced from the Black Forest of Germany .
When you walk through their doors , it ’ s truly a blast to the past . One step inside , and you ’ re immediately greeted by a working Edison Home Phonograph ( the record player before the record player ). Just behind that , you ’ ll find a selection of furniture and appliances that will transport you back to as far as the late 1800 ’ s .
The rustic , primitive shelves , dressers and dining room sets immerse you inside the typical home of the late nineteenth century . The display cases , mostly for threads and dyes , and the bulky , old-fashioned cash
34 • SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky September 2022