A Step Back in Time at a Unique Antique Establishment in Eureka Springs
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARK. – Prime real estate, by way of a storefront building on historic Spring Street in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. It is virtually non-existent. Yet, that is exactly what John Mitchell acquired years ago, when he purchased the three buildings on the lower portion of Spring Street, where Mitchell’s Folly Antiques now resides.
In sitting down with Gwen Bennett, executor of John’s Trust after his passing in 2019, and who now runs the antique business and attached resident buildings, she shared that as a young child, John Mitchell was often found digging in the dirt, collecting treasures left behind. He started with a collection of bottles and began trading his wares for more expensive and intriguing treasures that caught his eye. John was always on the hunt for the next best thing to share with his family and friends. “He was obsessive about collecting, from a very young age, and it just followed him throughout his life.”
The building in which Mitchell’s Folly Antiques now stands once burned to the ground. The resurrection of the antique/museum portion was constructed with lumber from a small town about 12 miles away from Eureka Springs. The storefront window came from Mr. Mitchell’s high school in Marianna, Arkansas, the town in which he was born, also known as the Delta, or ‘cotton country’.
When the antique store was built, several of the metal plates and tiles came from the nearby Crescent Hotel, where John once worked as a waiter. When the Penthouse at the iconic Crescent Hotel burned in 1960, Mr. Mitchell was able to salvage the tin tiles and tastefully incorporate them into the construction scheme of his beloved antiques shop. He and Gwen also imported hand-painted tiles from Mexico.
The thing that drove Mr. Mitchell was his love of history. He enjoyed finding or purchasing things that no one else was interested in. Once preserved, he gave the articles a new life, in which others were interested in owning. His vision for his beloved antiques shop was to share the treasures he found, educating others who had no vision of the worth of the pieces John had a keen sense to collect. He did not think much about the future of his shop; rather, he simply collected, sold, and continued on this cycle for several years. He was a lover of history and wanted to preserve as much of it as possible, in efforts to pass down knowledge to future generations.
Gwen Bennett discussed going through John’s collection after his death. She shared it was difficult at first, but she was thankful that he got to “die with all of his toys”. She successfully sifted through the remnants of his shop, storage, garage, and has continued to run Mithell’s Folly Antiques to this day. She does not find it difficult to sell John’s beloved collection, as she feels that every valuable piece of history deserves to find a forever home, with someone that will cherish and appreciate it the way he did.
Many of the guests of Mitchell’s Folly are repeat, local customers. However, being a tourist destination, the shop has seen a lion share of out-of-town travelers in its unique history. If you look up the business online, you will find over 100 entries for Mitchell’s Folly Antiques. Mrs. Bennett shared that many of the customers claimed nostalgic visits to the shop as children. They enjoyed sharing stories about John, his unique persona and quirky character. While it seemed a bit eccentric, he truly fit the mold of artist and entrepreneur in the small berg of Eureka Springs that so many know and love today. His downhome demeaner was a comfort to his friends and clientele, many of which still come back to visit the shop and regale entertaining stories about the original owner.
Mr. Mitchell rented the building next door and it took him two full years to empty the contents onto the property. There were marble busts, collectible circus posters, and a plethora of other unique and valuable pieces. John was known for over-pricing his wares, as he truly did not want to sell some of the pieces he painstakingly acquired. He felt an emotional tie to them, with his keen sense of nostalgia and respect for history. Gwen shared that she often found John reading and researching antiques. He was self-educated and extremely knowledgeable on the worth of each piece he acquired. She lovingly shared, with a chuckle, “He was just plain cheap! It was embarrassing to see him haggle with dealers and those that wanted to purchase pieces from him”.
The overarching message of Michell’s Folly Antiques is sharing a fantastic collection of historical artifacts with the community and rehoming pieces to the right home. Bennett shared: “Everything needs to be rehomed as everything is real, unique, and individual. There is nothing imported, or mass produced, as part of our collection at Mitchell’s Folly”. She went on to say that several antique dealers visited their shop and always agreed on one thing: “John Mitchell had a good eye for acquiring, collecting, and selling his beloved treasures”.
Gwen Bennett, has worked tirelessly to keep the shop alive and thriving. She invites the community and visitors alike to come see the unique collection housed at Mitchell’s Folly Antiques. “We have it all! Please come visit.”
But don’t take our word for it, visit yourself and you will no doubt be transported back in time and graced with a feeling of nostalgia, intrigue, and childhood wonder.
