FranklinIs Connected

Preserving One Family’s History Through Antiques

Preserving One Family’s History Through Antiques

Article by Buffie Baril

Photography by Trenton Lee Photography

Originally published in Franklin Lifestyle

Antiquing is a family business for Williamson County native Amanda Glenn Breuer. In the 1970s, her parents Archie and Joan Glenn opened the Franklin Antique Mall at 251 2nd Avenue South Street in downtown Franklin.

After Amanda’s parents passed away, the business was passed to her. She maintains great relationships with her 70 independent dealers. There is even a waiting list. Amanda’s daughter Morgan, who helped with the family business while she was growing up, is so proud of how her mother pays tribute to her grandparent’s legacy by keeping the store open.

As you enter through the store’s 17th century French doors, you are surrounded by memories on every shelf and around every corner. From vintage chandeliers and antique furniture to uniforms, currency, and ammunition from the Civil War, you realize this is a very special place. Then you notice all the Sizzle Awards on display, while manager Carolyn Golden greets everyone with a smile and keeps the business running smoothly.

If you love picking through old treasures, you will find a plethora of nostalgia from vinyl records to old toys and books. If you love interior decorating, Franklin Antique Mall is the perfect place to add in a few vintage pieces with character into your current decor. Amanda has a couple of booths herself to sell her new reproduction pieces that coordinate nicely with the other booths. Amanda says, “I like having a mixture of antiques and novelty goods. It feels more realistic and interesting when you walk into the store. My home is a blend of antiques and contemporary because I think it adds dimension.”

The two hundred-year-old building on the corner of Margin and 2nd Avenue South has quite the history itself. During the 1890s, David Farr had a granary warehouse known as Farr Mills at this site, but not the current building. Before antiques moved in, the building was famous for being the ice house in the early 1900s. Imagine a horse and buggy delivering a block of ice to your home! By the late 1930s, iceboxes were being replaced with electric refrigerators.

In the early 1970s, the building transitioned to an architectural antique warehouse, then the antique mall owned by Amanda’s parents. For five decades, this 12,000 square foot building has been Franklin’s oldest antique mall. In fact, Franklin’s 2nd and 3rd Avenues are known for having some of the finest antique shops in all of Nashville.

The mall boasts an eclectic mix of customers from Franklin locals to tourists from around the world and even a few country music celebrities for good measure. Make sure to add Franklin Antique Mall to your bucket list of the most fun places to shop local. TheFranklinAntiqueMall.com

Franklin Antique Mall in Downtown Franklin, TN offers antiques and collectibles.Women at the entrance of the Franklin Antique Mall in Downtown Franklin.Women looking at antiques and collectibles at the Franklin Antique Mall in downtown Franklin, Tenn.Franklin Antique Mall Franklin, TN.Franklin Antique Mall, Antiques & Collectibles in Downtown Franklin, TN.Franklin Antique Mall in downtown Franklin offers many antiques and collectibles.