River’s Edge Antiques located at 420 Jacobs St, Confluence, Pennsylvania offers a diverse selection of antique items for browsing and purchase. Visitors to River’s Edge can explore a variety of vintage furniture, decor, and collectibles, each with its own story to tell. Whether seeking a special treasure or simply enjoying a stroll through the past, this antique shop invites guests to step back in time and discover hidden gems.
An average day at the store will find the two current operators, my mother Carolyn Collen-DuBose and her business partner Jan Upton-Lloyd, sitting around a long wooden table sharing snacks or a glass of wine and trading stories with a variety of characters and customers who stop by to shop for rare finds or just chat. Carolyn is known to teach classes around that same table in a variety of creative pursuits stemming from her 30 plus year career as a public school Art teacher in Garrett County Schools. Upton-Lloyd, a native Californian, and her late husband, Kevin, who retired from the Annapolis City police force in 2003, moved to the mountains of western Maryland and then Pennsylvania. Since 2005, Jan has been the co-owner of River’s Edge Antiques.
The shop was actually started in the late 90s and next year is Jan’s 20th anniversary of taking over in 2005. When Jan took it over, she was able bodied, so she often went to auctions, estate sales where she found most products. Now that the ladies are “2 Lame Dames” (their words, not mine), the shop is open weekends only seasonally and is dependent on consignors. “Recently we got 100 things from a consignor who bought a property in York, PA and it was chock full of great stuff,” said Upton-Lloyd.
River’s Edge boasts an eclectic mix of Asian antiques, primitive, art deco, and is truly a vibrant mix of objects to peruse. One such object that caught my eye is a limited-edition photo of Frank Zappa on his tractor taken in 1968 in the infamous Laurel Canyon – taken by the first photographer employed at Rolling Stone, Baron Wolman.
Throughout an average day at “The Shop,” many hours are spent talking about things ranging from knitting to the overuse of comparing modern politicians to Adolf Hitler. A variety of guests can potentially roll through on any given weekend. It is truly a colorful cast of characters. “The shop has become our social outlet. We’ve made many acquaintances that have become lifetime friends,” said Carolyn.
Carolyn’s corner of the shop “Hazeltree of the Woods” consists of fiber pieces including handmade one-of-a-kind knitted items, crocheted hats and blankets, collages made from Vintage quilt, and lavender sachet.
“We love to talk to customers and find connections about where they are from and where they are going. Many people stop through after a visit to Ohiopyle or Fallingwater, or they may just be on a walk right down the block from the very popular River’s Edge Cafe,” Carolyn continued.
On one trip to visit last summer I met an original member of the art collective that started the Burning Man festival. Another regular is local high schooler, Gabe, who just turned 16 and has been coming for the past three years to tinker with old Victrolas, radios, and clocks. Even dogs are welcome – the shop has its own dog, Levi!
River’s Edge Antiques is more than just an antique store. Many years ago, Jan was working the shop by herself and a gentleman wearing NOTHING, but a tiny deerskin loincloth entered and began to look around. Jan thought he was a Fort Necessity re-enactor and asked him as such. “No,” he replied and never explained himself! Not too long after that, Jan was opening the shop and there was a duck waiting at the door. She unlocked the door, and the duck came inside. “He looked wild but friendly and he sat with us all day. I was doing google searches like – ‘Can you house train a duck?’ until the owner of the River’s Edge Cafe put out the word online that someone was looking for a lost duck. The owner, who lived three miles away, had no idea how he got there and came to collect my new friend,” Upton-Lloyd recounted.
Finally, the “Dames” are inviting the public to their Fall open house on the first Saturday, October 5th from 11-7PM. Anyone and everyone is welcome to browse antiques and sample some pulled pork and sangria. This annual celebration is aimed at thanking friends for supporting them at the end of another season. For questions or interest in taking a class from Carolyn, call (814) 395-9098.
Written by: Collen DuBose