Inside the Antiques Community of Aiken with Lisa Castles
Inside the Antiques Community of Aiken: A Conversation with Lisa Castles from York Cottage
Aiken has long been a hub for antiques, with vintage boutiques becoming beloved destinations along our downtown streets and beyond. The 25th anniversary of the Aiken Antique Show took place earlier this year at the Aiken Center for the Arts, raising funds for the center while giving antique enthusiasts a chance to expand their collections and learn from the experts. Here, twenty-one antique dealers from across the Southeast and over two thousand attendees gathered to buy and sell eclectic wares and hear presentations on interior design and 18th century gardening.
“The antique show is my favorite time of the year,” Lisa Castles, Chair of the Aiken Antique Show, says. “The entire weekend is full of contagious energy.” No one knows the show better than Lisa, who was brought on board when she first moved to Aiken in the show’s inaugural year.
Since then, it has grown to encompass a whole community of locals, travelers, and volunteers who carve out time for the event every year. Because the show is relatively small, Lisa says she and her team of 100 volunteers have the time and energy to focus on hospitality and the little details that make the event unique, from a homemade café to the dealer hospitality suite.
This attention to detail translates to Lisa’s own antique shop, York Cottage Antiques. Located on Hayne Avenue, the shop features a curated selection of goods Lisa collects on her travels. There, among the garden decorations, tablesettings, and sporting antiques, you’ll find quality silver pieces, a remnant of her early career working in an antique silver store in Atlanta.
Attached to every object she sells, Lisa writes about the history and original purpose of the piece, as well as what it can be used for today— honoring the past while appreciating modern-day functionality.
Given one word to describe the Aiken Antique Show, Lisa chose community: both for her volunteers and the local businesses who come together to support this longstanding event. As the love of antiques continues to thrive in Aiken, we want to take this opportunity to highlight two special shops within walking distance from The Willcox where the belongings of our past are preserved for new generations.
York Cottage Antiques
Lisa brings precious goods sourced from France, England, and across the U.S. to her shop on Hayne Avenue. From swan sculptures for the garden to crystal glassware and larger furniture pieces, York Cottage is home to a little bit of everything—all with an elevated style that blends seamlessly with the feel of a classic southern home. Her wares make beautiful gifts as well, complete with handwritten cards detailing the origin of each item.
Aiken Antique Mall
Nestled in the heart of downtown, the Aiken Antique Mall is ripe for exploring. Beautiful, unique pieces of every kind can be found in each nook and cranny. Step inside, and you’ll come across a seemingly unlimited supply of rare coins, vintage jewelry, fine china, elegant furniture, antique books, gold-framed mirrors, and countless more items you can’t find anywhere else.
