August Antiques Store in Houston Heights
The August Antiques store in the Houston Heights
August Antiques
This antiques store in the Houston Heights is a delight! It is a red-brick building that was built in the 1920s. Nestled between other vintage buildings along the beautiful Heights Boulevard, it has a small parking lot in front. Fortunately, there is plenty of street parking along Heights Boulevard.
My husband and I stopped in there one day recently to see what offerings they provide.
Religious Items for Sale
What truly sets August Antiques apart from many other antique stores is the number of religious items they have for sale. These include various types of sculptures, icons, selections of crosses and crucifixes, kneeling benches, rosaries, and more. Some of them seem to have come right out of churches! I am confident that there is a story behind each distinctive piece.
Terrific Book Selection
Another thing of note is their massive selection of rare books. Entire sets of books can be found, as well as single ones worthy of collecting or gifting that particular person on your list. There are rows and rows of books of all types, including numerous vintage Bibles. On the floor in the books section of the store are old book presses.
“A great library is anything and everything. It is not for its current custodians to judge what the future will find to be of importance, and it is this eclecticism that gives it the mystique, that is the wonder of it.”
— Penelope Lively, Ammonites and Leaping Fish: A Life in Time
Numerous Items to Explore
When gazing up towards the ceiling, we saw exciting and beautiful period lighting pieces. Of course, there is a wide assortment of furniture, including furnishings that date back to earlier times.
My husband and I viewed old wooden school desks, period jars, and crocks, stacks of old wooden boxes, numerous vintage signs, and a multitude of former medicinal bottles and paraphernalia utilized in the past.
My favourite finds are often antique pieces with a history.
— Alice Temperley
Architectural Salvaged Items
In between the two buildings is a fantastic array of vintage aluminum chairs such as I knew as a child in the 1950s. In addition to the various types of seating are a wide variety of architectural salvage items. These include vast numbers of doors and windows. Stained glass windows of different dimensions are also on display.
Some good friends of ours purchased some old wooden doors, and where the screens or windows had been, they inserted mirrors. After refinishing the wood, those doors are now displayed as pieces of art in their living room. It is advantageous and innovative and gives their living room a distinctively unique appearance. I admire people who can see past the original intent of furniture or furnishings and re-purpose them into something new.
Anyone looking for doors or windows should put August Antiques on their list of places to visit!
Windows and Santa in August Antiques
Two Adjacent Buildings
There is another building to the left of August Antiques that dates back to 1910. It was acquired in 1994, a year after the red brick building was purchased. It is called Ben’s Antique Gardening.
The flowers and plants grown in containers outside the building facing Heights Boulevard are beautiful.
Brings Back Memories
One thing that caught my eye was an old croquet set. It immediately brought back to mind the days when my parents, along with my brothers, grandparents, and other visiting relatives, used to play that game in my parent’s large yard in Wisconsin. Just seeing it made me smile.
This description scratches the surface of what there is to see in these two buildings and the space between them.
Location and Hours of Operation
These stores are open from 10 AM to 6 PM every day except Monday. From what I read, the larger red brick building might have been a grocery store originally, and the smaller adjacent building a Gulf gas station. The owners are James Weaver and Ben Weaver.
I overheard one of them helping a customer. If they do not have what a customer is seeking, they will help them find it. Many of their buying trips take them to the northeast part of our country.
This eclectic mixture of items seems to be well sorted into different areas. So if one is seeking certain items, they can easily be directed to the correct area without having to wade through a mishmash of other things. That is particularly true if wanting doors and windows, religious items, and books.
Be forewarned of one thing only. While fans are buzzing, there is no air conditioning. So browsing through the stores can be a bit hot in our Houston summers. Take that into consideration when planning a visit. Dress appropriately and plan to stay hydrated!
It is always fun discovering places like this! The address of August Antiques is 505 1/2 Heights Blvd., Houston, Texas 77007.
Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends.
— H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Source
More to See and Do in Houston
- Houston Heights World War Two Memorial: Heartfelt Tribute
The Houston Heights WWII Memorial honors all those from the Heights who served their country, both living and dead, during that war. It is a beauty! - Donovan Park: Fun Castle Playground in Houston Heights
Donovan Park is a fabulous children's playground owned and managed by the Houston Heights Association. - Fantastic Sculptural Art in Downtown Houston, Texas
When visiting downtown Houston, notice the numerous exciting sculptures that add beauty to the city spaces. Some are in parks, while others reside beside tall buildings.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2020 Peggy Woods
