GREENWICH, NY (WRGB) — “What’s great about a bookstore like ours is you’ll never know what you’ll find. The magic of it is stumbling upon something you didn’t know that you wanted.”
Owl Pen Books is a reader’s oasis! A hidden gem at the end of a windy dirt road among the hills of Washington County.
A historic farm, re-purposed into a home for almost every kind of book you can think of, and more.
“We have ephemera, we have prints, we have vinyl records, we have all kinds of things.”
“The estimate is anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 books we’re not quite sure. It’s hard to count.” Says co-owner, Sydney Nichols.
What’s equally as fascinating as what’s on the shelves , is how this place came to be. Both in its original and current form.
“A woman named Barbara Probst had discovered the property in 1945, had fixed up the house, and she always loved books, so she bought a collection and decided to open up a little bookstore in this little hog pen.”
Mrs. Probst had the fireplace put in because this is where she lived for two winters while the house was being repaired. Without the hogs, of course.
“About 5 or 10 years later, she expanded to the chicken coop and kicked out the chickens.”
Like so many people over the years, current owners, Sydney Nichols and Eric Kufs, fell in love with Owl Pen Books two and a half years ago, while living in Los Angeles.
“The listing popped up on my Facebook and I sent it to my husband as a joke, like, ha! We could go live in the woods and run a bookstore. And he says, I think that sounds like a good idea!”
A spontaneous, life-changing decision they’re grateful to have made.
As they get ready to wrap up another successful season, they say in a world of technology, the draw and love of used books is still strong.
“There’s something special about it. It has a history, it’s tactile. And some of the old books are especially beautiful and not made in a way they are today.”
For more information on Owl Pen Books, check out it’s website:https://www.owlpenbooks.com/
This post was originally published on here
