Eldred Wheeler, a store that specializes in colonial American furniture created by hand using the traditions of 18th century craftsmen, has opened in Linden Square in the former Crossing Main space. The fine furniture company uses cherry, maple, and tiger maple in its designs and creates each piece using time-honored techniques when hand-planing, scraping, designing, carving, and finishing.
I felt like an alien in another, more gracious time as I wandered into the gallery, plastic CVS bag in hand. You won’t find any sectional sofas here. Instead, look for secretary desks, breakfront bookcases, highboy dressers, chest-on-chests, corner cupboards, linen presses, formal and country dining sets, Windsor chairs, sideboards, and more. All are made out of beautiful wood, with a distinct lack of particle board or laminates. Staples holding together the back panel of the piece you have your eye on? I think not.
Such quality costs, of course, and I saw prices along the lines of about $10,000 for a highboy to $3,000 for a cannonball bed, down to $400 for a tea table.
We’re told that Eldred Wheeler used to have a presence in town on Washington St. in the Blue Ginger block back in the 1990s.
The store’s grand opening is Friday, November 7, 4pm – 8pm; and Saturday, November 8, 10am – 6pm.
Yes, they had a store next to Blue Ginger into the early 2000’s, we bought a table from them shortly after moving into town in 2001.