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George Laurence, of The Eclectic Eye, stands before his shop at 16-18 Railroad Avenue.

By Noah Fleisher, Northeast Journal Newspaper, June 2004 Used with permission

Located in the southern tip of Orange County, NY, the bucolic town of Warwick is a well-kept secret whose time has come. Nestled just under an hour from Manhattan, and a quick jump from Bergen County, NJ, Warwick has long been home to an active association of classy B&Bs, upscale restaurants, seasonal festivals and a slew of well-regarded wineries that New Yorkers in the know are wont to take advantage of on a long weekend or a few days away from the mid-week grind. Warwick had established itself as a quiet country getaway in an old railroad town that is quaint as it is close. With the events of September 2001, and the mass exodus from Manhattan, Warwick began to see a growing profile as its Victorian Houses and re-energized downtown benefited from the rising real estate prices big city refugees brought with them all the way up the Hudson Valley. Warwick is a place already known by seasoned antiquers. A number of shops warranted a visit when in town, but it is only with the addition of several new businesses in the last few years that the town has begun to transform into a true antiques destination. Located at 16-18 Railroad Avenue, in the very heart of the rejuvenated downtown strip, is George Laurence’s The Eclectic Eye—a necessary first-stop on any trip to Warwick. George is the eclectic eye of which the name speaks. His reputation for quality and reliability preceded him to his space in Warwick. Since 1991, when George made the move from Northport, Long Island, The Eclectic Eye had first occupied a shop in the town’s clocktower, and then a one-room storefront at 18 Railroad Ave., next to an active auto garage. George, a 30-year veteran of the antiques business who had made his name as a foremost authority on Glidden pottery, had long had the idea to open a larger space and invite a handful of fine dealers to exhibit. When he learned that the owner of the garage was going to sell, George astutely saw his chance. "It was about the filthiest, dirtiest garage you could imagine," George said. "You have no idea how much work went into it." Where many saw a filthy, old car garage far gone to the stains of exhaust and puddles of pooling motor oil, George saw his masterpiece. He bought the garage, spent two exhausting years cleaning and renovating, before finally opening up his expanded and much improved group shop in 2003. Featuring a mix of American, Continental, and Asian antiques of all kinds from the 18th and 19th Centuries, the response to the building and its contents was immediate and positive. The Chamber of Commerce honored him with an award for renovation and revitalization, and antiquers of all stripes began to make their way to the transformed garage to consider the effort and to make purchases. "It’s a real mix of buyers we have here," George said. "We have the serious collectors and the casual collectors, and they can all see something they like." Besides being the proud proprietor of the new space, as well as a driving force behind the reinvigoration of downtown Warwick, George is—at heart—still a dealer of Glidden pottery. It is in talking about his area of expertise and his vast collection that he really comes alive. Almost the entire old shop, all of 18 Railroad Avenue, is dedicated to the colorful glazes and fine shapes of Glidden pottery. "Glidden was probably the most successful New York producer of pottery," he said, picking up a lushly colored plate. "It was limited in production and definitely the highest-end pottery of its kind." His three decades of collecting and learning about Glidden have gone a long way toward making him the downstate authority on the form. It’s also helped him compile an assortment without parellel. "Now I have a massive collection," he said, motioning around the room. "What you see here is nothing compared to what I really have." Besides George’s collection, The Eclectic Eye features the furniture, art, and accessories of as many as seven dealers, including Linda Rose, John Fish, Jenna Field, Pam Durante, Curtis Emery, and Jude Hammerle. Half of the fun of visiting The Eclectic Eye is having a chance to stop and chat with George. His personable manner and entrepreneurial discerning taste make his shop a worthy anchor to this rapidly burgeoning antiques village. Call 845-986-5520. E-mail: geonal@hotmail.com Within a stone’s throw of the The Eclectic Eye, Warwick boasts no less than six other stores, all of which feature diverse and unique inventories of their own. In fact, walking around from shop to shop in town, any antiquer is bound to be impressed by the variety of items different stores offer and the manner in which the different proprietors support one another. The result is a remarkable community in which shop workers actaully send customers to their neighbors' shops for items they don't have in stock. Heading East from The Eclectic Eye, up Railroad Avenue, across the street where Oakland Avenue and Main Street meet (the official address is 7 Main Street), seekers will see the welcoming flag and the open door of Antiques Warwick, LLC. Owner Dennis Christenson is usually around and happy to talk about the shop’s excellent array of tastefully presented antique furniture. Christenson’s specialties are antique boxes, blanket chests, and carpenters tool chests. These are always available, among the diverse offerings in the store. "They’re just something I really like," said Christenson. "A lot of people make coffee tables out of them." Antiques Warwick also benefits from Christenson’s willingness to journey to distant corners of the country to re-stock his shop. "That’s probably my personal key to success," he said. "I travel a lot." Call 845-986-9919. E-mail: ANTIQUESWarwickLLC.com Just south of Antiques Warwick, on the same street, but with the address of 2 Oakland Avenue. Here you'll find the Horvest Moon Antiques, impossible to miss with its blue flag and two spaces occupied by owner, Laurie Davey. With an emphasis on vintage linen, glass, and antique curiosities, Harvest Moon is a good place to find small and charming glass work treasures. The atmosphere of the store is purposefully casual and stocked with things that Laurie said she would like people to look at and think of their mother or grandmother. For people who like their decorative accents with a hint of nostalgia, Harvest Moon is the perfect spot. | Call 845-986-6996 or visit www.harvestmoonantiques.com. Continuing south out of Harvest Moon, the next stop on the antiques map of Warwick is up a few yards and a quick left down First Street. There, tucked away on the second floor of a white building, at 7 First Street, you'll see a sign for Old Crow Antiques. A place that bills itself as "specializing in fine, funky, and everything in between," Old Crow certainly does its best to fit that description. The fun thing about the shop, besides the relaxed ambience, is that one never knows what will be found on the shop floor on any given day. Treasures and trinkets aplenty for those willing to look. | Call 845-986-9066. Heading back to Oakland Avenue and due south again, it is impossible to miss the wonderfully restored three-story Victorian at 11 Oakland Avenue that houses The Warwick House of Antiques. Inside this impressive group shop is a serious diversity of antiques and antiquing talent. With more than a decade in the business and three years now in their current location, owners Diana Bailey and Vincent Ekdahl have gone to great pains to make the center as inviting and packed with high-quality, diverse antiques of all kinds and all time periods. Going from one room to the next is lesson on design through the last century."We have everything from American and European to Asian, arts and crafts, and Victorian," said Diana. "We have dealers dedicated to each style." | Call 845-986-4490. Heading back to the downtown area, south on Oakland Avenue and up the hill as it becomes Main Street, on the left is a gallery called Silken Wool. With an emphasis on fine, collectible rugs of all kinds and makes, Silken Wool is a place for antiquers with floor space to cover or an affinity for all things woven. The address is 56 Main Street. | Call 845-988-1888. A unique shop for clock lovers is called Hands of Time. Not far from downtown proper, go due north on 94 and bearing right onto Kings Highway. Hands of Time, on the left side of the road, is hard to miss. Sometimes guarded by a super-friendly black lab, this store consists of two good-sized rooms packed with various examples of antique clocks and assorted timepieces. | Call 845-988-5100. Approximately 50 miles from New York City, the easiest way to reach Warwick by car is to take exit 16 off the New York State thruway and follow Route 6 West to exit 126. From the exit, make a left on Route 17A and follow the signs to Warwick. More information on dining, lodging, and other cultural activities can be found at the Town of Warwick Web site. Note: We have reproduced this article with the permission of the Northeast Journal. For more information, call 518-828-9327, or write: PO BOX 37, Hudson, NY 12534. Harold M. Hanson, President. 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