Our Main Antique Showroom

Our Main Antique Showroom
Housed in Post Civil War Era Barn

Welcome, Ohio Travelers!

Planning a trip to Ohio Amish country? A stop at our family-owned shop, Spies Farms Antiques, in Dover, Ohio is a must. When you see our two big showrooms of one-of-a-kind antiques, you'll be sure to find special yet affordable treasures that you’ll cherish for a lifetime. Your friends will wonder where you found unique, well-made pieces like these for such a good value. Items we frequently have in stock include antique solid wood tables (e.g. harvest, dining, library, etc.), various styles of antique wooden chairs, antique sideboards, dressers and chests of drawers, antique store counters, antique shutters, doors and mirrors, enamelware and other old-time kitchen items, as well as rustic accents such as lanterns, coal buckets and old farming tools. Our family constantly searches throughout Ohio Amish country, selecting and procuring unusual, rare finds – virtual “buried treasures” that have often been tucked away for over a century.

Our main antique shop is housed in our old barn (built in the 1800s) which has been in our family for 4 generations. The post Civil War barn is in its original state, with beams made from hand-hewn logs – it even contains some wooden nails, so the shop itself is something to see. Don’t miss our auxiliary building which holds some of the larger furniture items plus unusual finds like antique rug looms, work benches and cider presses. The newest addition to Spies Farms Antiques is our authentic log cabin, originally built in southern Tuscarawas County, which our family “rescued” and painstakingly moved and rebuilt, log by hand-hewn log, near the main antique showrooms. When you visit, take a peek inside the cabin at the old-style chinking in the log walls, the restored original wooden floors on both the ground floor and the second floor loft, and the working stone fireplace that we rebuilt by hand with stones from local farm fields.

Getting to Spies Farms Antiques is easy – we’re located at 2694 State Route 39, about 1 mile west of the Interstate 77 Dover exit, heading towards the heart of Ohio Amish country e.g. Sugarcreek, Walnut Creek, Berlin and Millersburg. (Note: Ohio is home to the largest Amish/Mennonite population in the entire world). Our hours are: March - September and November: Thurs., Fri. & Sat. 8:00 - 5:30, and by appointment. October: Mon. - Sat. 8:00 - 5:30.  December - February, open as weather permits.

Many of our customers seem to think we’re worth a repeat visit – we regularly have visitors to Spies Farms Antiques from across the nation, all the way from Washington State to Florida to Texas and everywhere in between – plus Canada, so we think they must appreciate both our wide selection of antiques as well as the friendly conversation and our “insider” advice on local attractions.  Especially in these times of high gas prices, we know you want to make your trip to Ohio Amish country as memorable and worthwhile as possible, so check this site often; we'll be offering our suggestions for other interesting places and events in the local area, plus updates from the antique shop.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Anticipating Autumn

There’s nothing like the beginning of the school year to send young mothers dancing in the streets – or at least planning what they will do with a few hours to call their own. One mom told me that she can now have two or three connected thoughts without being interrupted!

If you need a break now that Fall is finally here, why not plan a little day trip to Amish Country with some of your friends. The weather is cooler, the colors are beginning to change, and all the shops – including ours – are loaded with all kinds of unique items to use in transforming your home décor from summer to the fall season. We have lots of boxes, crocks, jars, enamel ware, all of which can be used with golden rod, leaves, cat tails – all of nature’s bounty that is quite plentiful and just yours for the taking along many country roads. You could even take the kids along on a nature hike and enjoy the beautiful weather. The lower humidity of crisp, fall days is a welcome treat after the long, hot summer that we’ve had.

In addition to being open on the weekends from Thursday through Saturday, we’ve expanded our hours to include Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. since many travelers come to Amish Country when the shops are not as crowded. If you happen to pick up some cider and want to make it extra tasty, try this recipe for…

Hot Mulled Cider

Combine 16 whole cloves – 2 sticks (broken) cinnamon – 1 teaspoon whole allspice in cloth bag and tie it shut

Put 2 quarts Apple Cider into large kettle and add – ½ Cup Brown Sugar

Bring to boil – add Spice Bag and simmer for 15 Minutes

Remove spices

Keep lot in Crock Pot, Serve hot garnished with orange slices