The Georgetown Antique Mall is as much about love of community as it is about vintage finds.
Back in 1971, after raising five children, Joann Duncan Sharpe set her sights on fulfilling a dream: creating a place to shop and talk, exchanging thoughts as well as antiques.
The spunky entrepreneur involved everyone in her family, from the tallest to the smallest, to be part of her dream and her community.
“Joann was always teaching her family to promote the town and contribute to their community,” said daughter Jeanine Glass. “She gave much of her own time and effort volunteering for many organizations.”
According to Jeanine, before her mom’s passing, she put the mall in trust so her family could “continue the business tradition of 46 years, keeping Joann’s dream alive and available to the many thousands of customers that she brought to Georgetown from all over the nation and the world.”
Joann’s vision remains impressive, particularly in her family’s dedication to her dream. Besides maintaining a reputation as an excellent source of antiques and continuing to grow a loyal fanbase, it has resulted in numerous
citations, including “Top Treasure in Scott County,” “Readers’ Choice” awards and a 2017 win as the “Best In Kentucky” in the category of antique stores in Kentucky Living magazine’s annual reader write-in contest.
The mall is inside a sprawling historic 1895 building, its three levels packed floor to ceiling with antiques and furniture and vintage items. It is one of the few such places where collectors and bargain hunters can find true antiques and not just booths offering a hodgepodge of yard sale-type goods.
Jessica (Jessi) Wilbers Cummings, Joann’s granddaughter, describes some of the mall’s treasures: “We have solid wood furniture at reasonable prices – so many interesting and unusual pieces that have withstood the test of time and that often cost less than things you can get from a box. We have vintage holiday items, and I love when all the dealers’ Halloween stuff comes out!
“We are a great source of beautiful servingware for holidays and all the real farmhouse decor, primitives and true shabby chic items you could ask for. We even have vintage clothes and coins and military items.”
Having the mall located in downtown Georgetown is something Joann’s descendants love as much as Joann herself did. Like Joann, they see the joy in finding antique treasures, getting to talk to people from all over, learning from antique hunters and about them, swapping a shared love of old things.
“I love people, and the store has been a great place to enjoy their company if even for a little bit,” said Jessi. “We often have local friends swing in just to catch up or join us for lunch. I love being able to participate in the community events because Georgetown is such a great place to be, with a wonderful downtown – and Georgetown Tourism works hard organizing many fun things to do in our town.”
Joann never considered anyplace other than Georgetown for her business. It was, after all, home. Nine generations have lived on the family farm in Scott County and, at any given time, three generations may be found ringing up tickets on the old brass cash register sitting atop the counter. These include Jeanine, Jessi and her sister Jenny Wilbers and Joann’s great-granddaughters, Journey, Jayda, Josie, Janna and Haley.
As the family saying goes, “It’s Joann’s business; we are just here to help out.”
Since the Georgetown Antique Mall has reopened, store hours have changed to 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The mall is now closed on Sunday. The shorter hours and one-day closure allow the family to clean and sanitize surfaces. Masks are required and hand sanitizer is available at the store entrance and exit for customer use.
For more information and updates about new items to the store, history snippets about various pieces, images showing off what’s available and more, visit the store’s Facebook page or call 502-863-1891.
Click here to see a list of Georgetown shops with their updated hours and offerings, including curbside pickup and delivery.
