I Found My Thrill on Kill Devil Hill

Fats Domino may have found his thrill on Blueberry Hill…but I found mine in Greenpoint at Kill Devil Hill. Kill Devil Hill is an unexpected antique store on Franklin Street. Opened in May 2008 by owners Mark Straiton and Mary Brockman, it was borne out of a spur of the moment desire to help an old friend in Montana sell some of his excess taxidermy by bringing it back to NYC. But that’s not the only story that the shop holds. Every item in the shop has been acquired personally by Mark and Mary from the many road trips and tag sales. And if you’re not hearing a story from Mark about one of the items, then the ghosts of the past might step in to tell a tale.

The first item that you might hear about are the Indian Trading Beads from the 1800’s. One can’t be sure, but these might have been some of the very beads used by the Dutch to purchase Manhattan. Imagine that negotiation…”we’ll give you these wonderful beads for this incredible piece of real estate which will someday be a thriving metropolis…”!

Or there’s the Anchor Stone Building Blocks from the 1800’s that could tell more than a few tales of the tiny little hands that have delicately polished and eroded the stone pieces. Made of quartz sand, chalk and linseed oil, these blocks will be around far beyond any modern day blocks, leaving you plenty of time to construct to your heart’s content. 

And remember the View-Master? They’re still around, but you won’t find one like the antiques in Kill Devil Hill. Made of bakelite, these mid-century View-Masters were produced for photographic postcards and photo albums.

And, there’s so much more. I could go on and on about the beautiful antique projector, the wool coats (high quality wool coats at incredible prices like $45 and $80!), the neon signs, and the ultimate lighting for your cozy cabin. Need I say more?

Photo Credits: Ashley Reardon

Kill Devil Hill
170 Franklin Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
347-534-3088
http://killdevilhillbrooklyn.blogspot.com