However, these two communities — which often are grouped together in conversation because of their proximity to one another — are two distinct locales, each with an eye on the future and a focus on preserving the past.

Lewisville
Lewisville — the smaller of the two towns — was incorporated in 1991, although it originally was founded in the 1800s when a Moravian community settled on the banks of the Yadkin River. Even before that, Germans founded a Shiloh Lutheran Church in 1777 that exists today as the oldest congregation in Lewisville.

The area originally was used as a camping stop for those crossing the Yadkin River. By 1910, the focus of Lewisville had shifted from frontier to industry when the impressive Lewisville Roller Mill was constructed. As the oldest continuously occupied commercial building in Lewisville, it has anchored the town since becoming its largest employer. Currently occupied by Casanova’s Coffees & Fudge, the building provides a sweet center to the town that has worked so hard to preserve its rural feel.

“The Lewisville Mill is the perfect environment for our shop,” says Adele Casanova.

“As a boutique, high-end business, this building adds a lot of ambience to our business, especially with the covered porch.”

Casanova also is happy with the town itself and believes that a community environment is encouraged. Since she opened her business six years ago, she has watched families grow and come to see her shop as a destination to relax and have a treat. She enjoys being part of a tight-knit community and says that although she does have frequent out-of-town guests, it’s her Lewisville customers who keep Casanova in tune with the pulse of the town.

Lynn Hall, public information officer for the Town of Lewisville, relocated there for its unique characteristics and commitment to small-town, rural living. With approximately 13,000 residents, the town manages this by thinking innovatively and planning to remain small.

“The town council sets $5.50 for each resident as an events budget,” Hall explains.

“This is used to plan outdoor events, almost all of which are free.”

Fourth of July events and outdoor movies are just a few of the celebrations that Lewisville hosts in its picturesque Town Square, providing family-friendly activities that foster a love of community.

According to Hall, the town completed an annexation about five years ago, and there are no current plans for another one.

“We can’t go (expand) south without Clemmons’ approval, and we are not to go east to Winston-Salem,” she says.

“North is the only way to go at the moment, and there are no plans to.”

Clemmons
The Village of Clemmons originally was settled by Peter Clemmons, who came to the area with his wife and 14 children. Clemmons was the merchant of the budding community, and during the mid-1800s his son, Edwin, ran a successful stagecoach business from town. Today, the Village of Clemmons is a thriving community encompassing approximately 12 square miles with a population of more than 17,000, and Edwin’s completely restored stagecoach can be viewed in Village Hall.

From this small beginning, Clemmons has become a town with a focus on smart growth and creating a high quality of life for residents.

“The village has a lot of residents who are really interested in the direction of the community,” says Megan Ledbetter, village planner. “It’s exciting to work for a community that’s so involved.”

Clemmons recently approved a 124-acre development that includes a hospital, elementary school, several homes and a 16-acre lake that will be dedicated to the village. A focus on sustainability also is evident in Clemmons, with bicycle paths and a greenway as hot topics.

“We are in the planning stages of providing a linear park for our residents, something that we’ve had community buy-in through planning meetings,” Ledbetter explains.

“Our comprehensive plan has begun to foster broad community ownership, crafting a vision for the future of this historical village,” adds Mayor John Bost.

“We have begun a connectivity study to finally deal with the challenges of Lewisville-Clemmons Road and the necessary redevelopment of this early retail corridor.”

For Gretta Parnell, owner of Dero’s Wallpaper, Fabrics & Draperies, the town’s accessibility adds to the success of her business.

“It’s easy to get here and not as crowded as Winston-Salem,” she says.

“The businesses out here are ones people want to come to,” Parnell adds. “It makes for a nice place that’s not so overly congested. We’ve been in business in Clemmons so long, and we are glad we’re here.”

June DeLugas, owner of June DeLugas Interiors Inc., also is happy to base her business in town.

“This is such a family community, and the store has prospered,” she says.

“We have a lot of our business through word of mouth, but I also advertise that shopping local is important,” DeLugas adds. “I plan to keep my business in Clemmons.”

With all of this bustling business, the village still manages to maintain its remembrance of the past. For Bost, its heritage is one of his favorite things about Clemmons.

“The town actually encompassed the first surveyed corner of the Moravian settlement that would come to be known as the Wachovia Tract,” he says.

“Then there’s also Idols Dam, one of North Carolina’s first hydroelectric plants, the site of one of the earliest true public schools housed at Clemmons Moravian and an early transportation hub for stagecoaches.”

Stephanie Burt is a freelance writer based in Greensboro.

TREASURE HUNTS
Antique shops help showcase style, individuality

by Leah Hughes

Displayed prominently in glass cases, hidden secretly under bed skirts or forgotten accidentally in dusty attics, antiques often turn up in many different spots. Thanks to area enthusiasts and their Triad businesses, yesterday’s treasures are finding their way into today’s spotlight.

Whether you’re looking for a coffee table with a rich hardwood inlay, a porcelain doll that resembles your favorite childhood toy or a place to spend an afternoon, wandering through the area’s antique shops is a good place to start.

A treasure to behold
Many shoppers choose to go antiquing rather than battle crowds at traditional retail stores. A quiet Saturday afternoon spent sifting through relics from another time can be both soothing and rewarding.

Since 1972, customers have visited Rhyne’s Corner Cupboard Antiques in Greensboro to embark on a treasure hunt.

“We’ve had customers from about 21 different countries and every state over the years,” says Richard Rhyne, the shop’s owner.

“We always try to respond to specifically what someone needs and help them find it.”

Certain items in the store repeatedly catch visitors’ eyes, such as a 200-year-old carved wooden lion that used to guard the temples of Indonesia, or a bar from an old saloon that runs the entire length of one wall.

Nuances lurk behind the doors of every antique shop. For example, while the front of Dynasty Furniture and the N.C. Art and Antiques Mall in Winston-Salem might not seem that unusual, the back of the building serves as a rescue center for the Animal Adoption and Rescue Foundation (AARF). Deidra Thompson, president, found a way to pursue her passion for animals while running her business at the same time. Several animal rescue groups rent booths in the antiques mall to raise money for their efforts. Taking her mission a step further, Thompson created a benefit room in the back of the store, where proceeds from all merchandise sold help support animal rescue.

Thompson says her customers enjoy the adventures that antique shopping offers.
“It’s a completely new experience every time,” she says. “You never know what you’re going to find.”

A unique history
As economic perils force buyers to be more cost conscious, shopkeepers say recycling the old rather than buying new has become a common trend. Many individuals value the history behind antiques, while others see them as an opportunity to express themselves.

“Antiques bring character that shows the heritage of generations,” Rhyne says.

In addition to its downtown shop, Rhyne’s Corner Cupboard Antiques has six warehouses filled with antiques. Customers find creative ways to use old items, whether they’re restoring an old home or furnishing a loft or apartment, Rhyne says.

Karen Luisana, owner of Luisana Designs and Antiques in High Point, says the younger generation is looking to mix antiques with contemporary pieces. As more people experiment with antiques, professionals such as Luisana — who has a background in set design — help customers achieve their desired styles.

“I love when I see young people come in and really think about what they’re putting in their homes and make it real and give it a soul,” she says.

Designers at June DeLugas Interiors Inc. in Clemmons also encourage customers to use antiques in their room plans to add variety.

“We have clients who have family pieces that they want to keep, but they’re just not sure how to use them in a room,” says Leigh Ann Alexander, a designer at the firm.

Room designs that incorporate family heirlooms allow customers to have a new look that’s also meaningful.

The growing market for antiques offered Julie Morgan a fresh start almost 20 years ago.

“I lost my job and started buying and selling from a small store, and it grew into this 45,000-square-foot (building),” Morgan says of the Antique Market Place in Greensboro, which sells everything from sterling silver and collectibles to fine art.

“I mostly enjoy it all, other than the paperwork.”

A new perspective
In a fast-paced world where nothing seems to last, antiques are a friendly reminder of bygone days. At the N.C. Art and Antiques Mall, the staff enjoys watching visitors spend an entire afternoon wandering through the store, reminiscing.

“Everybody comes in here and relives their past,” Thompson says.

“A customer walks in the door and starts down one of the aisles, and we think they left after 30 minutes or so,” she adds. “Three hours later, they come out the other end of one of the aisles.”

Every antique has its own story to tell.

“The only reason an antique is in front of you is because someone loved it enough not to throw it away,” says Theresa Schirripa, an antiques appraiser based in Oxford.

Schirripa’s passion for antiques runs deep. She purchased her first piece of antique jewelry when she was 7 years old. As she matured and started outfitting her own home, she began perusing thrift and antique stores.

“When you’re spending your own money, you learn rather quickly not to make mistakes with it,” she says.

For many antiques enthusiasts, their diverse finds serve as a mark of identity and individuality.
“It’s very subjective” Schirripa says. “It’s a personal statement.”

Leah Hughes is a senior in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.