NEWVILLE, Pa. (WHTM) — A new, family-owned antique shop recently opened its doors in the historic Herron Cottage, which dates back to the 1800s and was frequented by a former U.S. president.

The new Pleasant View Antiques is owned and operated by two married educators and history enthusiasts, Liz and Joe Knouse. According to Liz, she and her husband both grew up in Boiling Springs and their new antique shop is their first-ever brick-and-mortar business.

Liz’s passion for collecting antiques began a long time ago when she was just a little girl going antique hunting with her parents – all together, Liz says she has been collecting antiques for the past 35 years.

“My parents use to take me to antique shops and auctions around the area when I was younger, so I spent a lot of time collecting and my dad collected as well,” Liz explained.

Throughout these 35 years, Liz wasn’t just interested in the antiques, but she was also interested in the history that was attached to her vintage collections.

Later in life, Joe went on to serve in the military which caused him and Liz to move around quite a bit. According to Liz, during this time she continued collecting antiques, and slowly, her husband’s interest in antiques grew as well.

In 2010, Liz began selling some of her collections in different online stores. Then years later, in May of 2023, the Knouse family opened their new antique shop in the approximately 2,600 square foot Herron Cottage, located at 1 Parsonage Street in Newville.

This 165-year-old home was once owned by the family of former United States President Ulysses S. Grant. According to Liz, the former president himself was known to visit the home and would even speak to the passing-by townspeople from the balcony – usually while drinking a glass of whisky and smoking a cigar.

“When you come in [to Pleasant View Antiques], you really feel a sense of deep history here,” Liz added.

According to Liz, the new antique shop offers a wide variety of antiques, predominantly from the late 1800s through mid-century modern. In addition to a vast antique collection, Pleasant View Antiques also has a retail section where they sell locally made jewelry, artwork, honey, gifts, soaps, and a lot more!

“I like to have a good mix [of antiques] because not everyone likes one specific era,” Liz explained.

At Pleasant View Antiques, guests won’t just be able to walk into history or buy history, but they will also get to hear the history. According to Liz, she and Joe work hard to learn the history of the items that they offer so that they can share that history with their guests. In addition to history lessons provided by the owners, the new antique shop also holds special events to help bring the past back to life.

On Thursday, August 24, the owners will be hosting an “Evening with President Grant” event, where they will have Dr. Curt Fields, who is a preeminent President Grant historian, talk about Grant’s life, family, and service.

“[Opening Pleasant View Antiques] has been a really special experience,” Liz added. “It has been really fun and it has been great getting to meet people.”

The hours of operation for the new Pleasant View Antiques are:

• Fridays – Saturdays // 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

It should be noted that during the fall and winter months, Pleasant View Antiques will also be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

According to Liz, the name ‘Pleasant View Antiques’ was chosen in honor of her grandparents who use to own a farm on Pleasant View Drive – a street name that her grandparents chose themselves.