Fordyce Building back under family ownership
Courtesy of The Dutch House
Some of the artifacts housed in Greene County’s Fordyce Building
Courtesy of The Dutch House
The Dutch House is now open for business in Greene County.
Courtesy of The Dutch House
Savanna Christy is owner of The Dutch House.
Courtesy of The Dutch House
Savannah Christy arranges some merchandise in The Dutch House.
Courtesy of The Dutch House
The stairs lead to the second floor of The Dutch House.
Courtesy of The Dutch House
Savannah Christy named her store The Dutch House, as a reference to the home she bought in Fordyce.
Courtesy of The Dutch House
The interior of The Dutch House is chock full of antiques.
Courtesy of The Dutch House
The interior of The Dutch House
By Dave Zuchowski
Some of Savanna Christy’s ancestors have lived in Greene County since the late 1700s. The family members intermarried with other residents through the years, adding limbs and branches to the original family tree. Since her ancestors first arrived, numerous weddings have made Savanna a relative to quite a few families in the area.
Christy, who grew up in Waynesburg and now lives in Fordyce, isn’t surprised to learn that the man who founded the town she now lives in is related. What did come as a bit of surprise was to discover that B.F. Murdoch, the man who built the town’s 1856 post office and general store, is also related through one of her great-grandfathers.
Fond of antiques, Christy, 27, was drawn to the 165-year old building ever since she moved to Fordyce two-and-a-half years ago.
“I was obsessed with the building,” she said. “When it came up for sale, I drove down the road to get cell service to try to buy it.”
And that she did, intending to open an antique store in the building that still has its original postal box, woodwork, entry doors, hardware, winder staircase and 25-foot long counter. At the moment, one project is to add postal plates to each box to identify the original mail recipients.
Christy said her family doubted that people would drive into Fordyce to shop, but she ventured on anyway and “poured all her financial resources” into the enterprise.
Working for eight months to restore the building, which she said is in good shape, she began readying her inventory.
Auctions are one of her favorite resources, and she said she put 25,000 miles on her truck, scouting out antique sales all over the country. When she first opened her doors last April, people lined up at the door to get in. Visitation has been brisk ever since.
Christy named the store The Dutch House, a reference to the home she bought in Fordyce built in a “Dutch layout” style complete with mansard roof. She said her home is a massive inspiration for the store and its mix of antiques, items by local crafters and artisans and handmade, sustainable products from around the world.
The long and narrow two-story building is stocked with unique pieces, including refurbished furniture. Christy’s store differs from others of its kind because she tries “to create an experience for her visitors.”
For instance, at the back of the store, visitors will find an antique Enterprise coffee grinder sitting on top of an old wooden A&P coffee box. She uses the grinder to mill the original blend of A&P coffee that dates back to the company’s founding in 1859.
“I found out about the product online when I researched coffees with historic value,” she said. “It’s an original blend of a medium roast, whole bean coffee,” she said.
Another experiential element at the store is the assortment of peppermint Gibralters she keeps on a silver platter under a glass dome for people to sample. Made by Ye Olde Pepper Companie, America’s oldest candy company (1806), the Gibralters come in lemon and peppermint flavors. “I discovered them on a visit to Salem, Mass.,” Christy said.
Christy believes part of the store’s allure is that it reminds people of their childhood and rekindles nostalgic memories.
As an echo of the past, all sales are recorded in a worn 1914 ledger book and rung up on a solid brass National brand cash register that dates back to the 1920s. It sits on a counter in the back of a line of vintage sodas available for purchase.
Christy said she loves to travel and has been to 14 countries so far. An August trip to Paris was supposed to last five days. However, instead of flying home as planned, she rented a car and drove to Provence, an antique hot spot. During her three-week stay in France, she bought items that struck her fancy, then shipped them back home to her store.
Back again in Fordyce, she organized an event called “Come to Paris with Me,” where she showcased her French finds and served macrons and a recreated tea blend by Oliver Pluff of South Carolina that dates back to the 17th century.
Besides travel, Christy is also interested in furniture restoration. It explains the large array of paints in small bottles displayed against a cabinet mounted on a side wall. She does her restoration work as well as caning and furniture reupholstering in the basement of the building, which once served as a blacksmith shop.
Not only does she offer restoration classes in an old schoolhouse next door that does double duty as the headquarters of the Warrior Trail Association, but she also shares her restoration projects online.
Besides wanting to focus even more on antiques in the future, Christy is planning an extensive road trip to New England this coming summer, where she hopes to scout for more antiques to add to her inventory.
“My hope is that my store will take people back in time or to a world far away,” she said.
“My goal is that they can find something to become part of their home. I believe that every piece has a story if you listen or know how to discover it.”
The Dutch House is at 111 Fordyce School Rd., 10 miles south of Waynesburg. Hours are from 11 to 5 p.m., Thursday – Sunday. Phone 724-833-4447 or the-dutch-house.com.