Annabel's brings new life with old items

Annette Beard

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New life with old items has returned to the old Putman's store building in downtown Pea Ridge.

For more than a century, the large block building on the southeast corner of East Pickens Road and North Curtis Avenue has served the community. Initially the Putnam's general merchandise store, it now houses Annabel's Mercantile.

Annabel's Mercantile is the culmination of a dream by Pam and Ed Clifton.

"We wanted to bring the downtown back," Pam Clifton said.

Clifton owned and operated a consignment store in Russellville for 12 years. She said she looks forward to serving Pea Ridge with Annabel's.

"Pea Ridge is growing. We want to fill up all the buildings and make it alive again downtown," Clifton said. "We wanted to offer more to Pea Ridge than they have."

She said that too often Pea Ridge residents go out of town to make purchases and she believes many of her items would make excellent gifts. Annabel's offers free gift wrapping.

"We want people to quit going to Rogers or Bentonville to spend their money."

What is the origin of the name? Pam said her middle name is Ann and her husband calls her Annabel.

In addition to vintage items, Annabel's carries Bridgewater candles, Dixie Belle chalk paint, Southern Trend t-shirts and items. There is home decor and reclaimed furniture.

"We do it because this is what we love to do," Ed said.

Pam agreed. "We did it as a hobby on the side and decided to go for it" in opening the store.

Ed has crafted unique items from yard sale finds making a dog bed from an old television cabinet, a wardrobe from a dresser, a bench from an old dresser. He said he will do custom work.

"I brake for yard sales" is on a bumper sticker on Pam's vehicle.

"They are hard core," Katie said laughingly about her parents' fascination for sales.

Pam's daughter, Katie Wilkins, 16, is the manager and will be working in the store throughout the summer as well as afternoons after school starts. Her son, Brayden McGowen, 11, is helping this summer opening the door for customers and greeting people with a smile.

"I like getting to help," Brayden said, adding that there is Christian music playing at all times in the store.

Both Pam and Ed work at Nabholz; she is a project manager assistant on the construction side and he is a project manager on the industrial side.

The couple said they will consider either buying or taking items in on consignment.

The building is one of a dozen commercial structures in the town's downtown business district on the National Register of Historic Places. Those commercial structures date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.