Crafty Peddler
Originally built as a saloon around 1888, the Mail Pouch Building takes its name from the charming tobacco sign which graces its western wall. Restored in 1994, the sign wall is a colorful reminder of the days when sign painters toured the country covering barns and buildings with their handiwork.
Today, the building houses a unique gift and craft shop called The Crafty Peddler. Home of the 6½ ft. Cigar Store Indian carved by a local artist, this craft shop also has folk art, baskets, pottery, jewelry, home and garden décor, and Christmas creations year round.
Painted around 1895, the sign itself is made up of two parts: the lower portion, advertising Mail Pouch Tobacco, processed by Bloch Bros. of Wheeling, West Virginia. The upper portion is an advertisement for Augustus B. Cummings, who was a local businessman and possibly one of the inventors of the first plow. This portion is called a privilege panel, and was traditionally given to the building’s owner or occupant as compensation for allowing the tobacco company to paint their sign on the building.
- 423.753.5971
- 104 South Cherokee Street
- 08 Mar 2016
- Shop Local
