ARCHITECTURAL SALVAGE YARDS IN VIRGINIA
The good news for Charlottesville residents who want to add something special with character and charm to their home, or perhaps a bit of period significance, there are several fabulous architectural salvage yards close enough to Charlottesville to make for great fun day trips. So… pull on your jeans and comfortable walking or hiking shoes, throw a pair of gloves in the car along with a tape measure and digital camera, and hit the road for one of these great spots.
CARAVATI’S INC. (804) 232-4175
104 E. 2nd St., Richmond, VA 23224
Mon-Fri, 8:30-5:00; Sat 9:00-4:00
My first visit to Caravati’s was over 30 years ago, while I was living in Richmond. I didn’t own a home at the time, but someone had told me about this very cool and wonderful place and so I sought it out. At that time, it was a series of junk areas. Not anymore. You can still have plenty of fun digging and hours exploring, but, today, it’s much more organized. If you are looking for specific items, there are staff to help you find what you’re looking for.
“We operate a forty thousand square foot warehouse in the historic Manchester district of Richmond, VA. and have three exterior lots filled with salvage such as old brick, cobblestone, marble, and granite curbing.”
They also provide a wide range of services, including furniture, lighting and hardware restoration; wood carving; welding; and, general repairs.
All of the photographs in this post were taken during a recent visit to Caravati's.
BLACK DOG SALVAGE (540) 343-6200
902 13th St., Roanoke, VA 24016
Mon-Sat, 9:00-5:00
“Black Dog Salvage specializes in reclaiming & renewing Architectural Antiques from the past including: Salvaged Mantles, Doors, Windows, Stained Glass, Wrought Iron, Vintage Plumbing & Hardware, Period Lighting, Art Tile, Unique Old House Parts, Gates, Garden Statuary, Industrial & Commercial Fixtures, Antique Store Counters and Much More.”
Services include custom wood and metal fabrication; they also maintain an Ebay store, if you want to peruse their products online first.
They’ve opened a space called Memorial Bridge Marketplace, a neighboring 14,000 square feet of merchant space that includes antique restoration, home and garden accessories, interior design services, and more.
Maggie’s Farm LLC, dba
ARCHITECTURAL OLD HOUSE PARTS 540-636-7984
122 East Main Street, Front Royal, VA 22630
Mon-Sat, 10:00-6:00; Sun 11:00-4:00
“Architectural Old House Parts, Inc. was founded in September 2000 to preserve and recycle building material and parts of old houses and barns for use in historic restoration and rehabilitation projects and for use in new construction or remodeling projects as a connection to the past.”
I’ve not yet visited this site, but it looks like the great exploration spot that the others offer.They also offer an online inventory of items that you can select from.
Though different from the three architectural salvage yards above, a couple of local sites also offer recycled house parts and some very interesting opportunities…
Located on Harris Street Downtown
1221 Harris Street, Charlottesville, VA 22903
Mon-Fri 10:00-6:00; Sat 9:00-5:00
“Help us divert valuable materials away from the landfill and back into the community, all while helping to build more affordable housing in the Greater Charlottesville area.”
CIRCA, (434) 295-5760
Located at the corner or McIntyre and Allied Downtown
1700 Allied Street, Charlottesville, VA 22903-5332
Mon-Sat 10:00-5:30; Sun 1:00-5:00
“We want to fill the void between junk stores and pricey antique "shoppes." It is our goal to make quality furniture and antiques affordable to everyone, while still catering to the tastes of shoppers of all ages, interests, and eccentricities.
We travel great distances to buy the stuff that fills our huge, 10000 square feet of store. Browsing for the rare, the beautiful, and the unusual is as fun for us as we hope it is for you. There is really no telling what you might find here at Circa. A chic Herman Miller chair? A sparkling bust of Elvis? How about a comfy chair to fill a corner of your new apartment."
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