GLOCESTER – Charlie Wilson, owner of the Town Trader Antiques, will serve as grand marshal of Glocester’s 99th annual Ancient and Horribles Parade when it steps off in Chepachet this July 4.
“The committee was looking for someone who had done a lot for the town,” said Parade Committee Chairperson Kathy Lamontagne of the pick. “His name just kept coming up. He always seemed to be there to help out when it was needed. (He’s) kind of like a staple in town, always willing to help everyone. He does so much for this town.”
When told of the award, Wilson, 74, said he was beyond surprised.
“Completely unexpected,” he told NRI NOW. “I didn’t see that coming at all. There are so many people out there who deserve it.”
Wilson, for his part, has played many roles in town including serving on the Historic District Commission since he arrived in Glocester in 2005. He was also on the Economic Development Committee, Board of Directors for the Glocester Business Association, Board of Directors for the Glocester Heritage Society, and has always been an active member of the community, showing up regularly at Town Council meetings and other important gatherings and events. He makes a point of supporting local causes as well.
Wilson discovered the rural village in the early 1990s, when he visited with a friend and said he fell in love immediately.
“I came to town, and back then it was rural; it was nice,” he recalled. “I came to this town because I loved antiques. I knew the owner of this building, which was an antique shop. Shortly after that, he offered me the building.”
Wilson bought the structure at 1177 Putnam Pike, rehabbed it and opened it in 2005. He is celebrating 20 years of owning the Town Trader this year.
He says he always wanted to own an historic building and sell antiques, but getting the building up to par was no easy task. The structure has been a café, a tavern, a home, a hardware store and a light fixture shop, among other uses, but the original building is still there, enclosed by various additions over the years, including a major addition in 1780 to the front. It is the oldest building in town, according to town records. The original owners sold land on the opposite side of the river to the White family to build the Stone Mill, which is also an antique store now. Buried under, “improvements,” over the years were hand-pegged rafters, chestnut beams, horsehair plaster and even an original beehive oven. On the second floor were remnants of ancient wallpaper, with a Paris label. A portion of that wallpaper is now in the state’s historic archives.
Over the years roofing has been replaced, new paint has been added to the siding, heating has been replaced, and the dirt floor cellar, which floods regularly, has been dug out. When Joe’s Hardware owned it, the two chimneys collapsed into the cellar, Wilson explained. The current owner dug it out by hand, hauling bricks and other materials by himself, and, eventually, adding a sump pump to help with flooding. He moved into the second floor in 2006.
Since moving into town, Wilson has become a staple himself, actively supporting town events and causes.
“This is a great rural town,” he said. “Wonderful people, friendly, nice…everything you need. There are so many wonderful people I have met in my life since I have been here, especially the people who have been here their whole lives. The stories they have to tell about the town and what it was like, and they are willing to share it. It’s great.”
One of the reasons he said he is so involved is simply a concern for Glocester’s future.
“I am so worried about encroaching city life,” Wilson said. “Keep it out of here.”
When the 4th of July comes around, there is a good chance he will be aboard a horse-drawn wagon for the occasion, riding down Main Street, waving to the crowds who line the route.
“I am just very honored that this came about,” said Wilson. “I really am. Just overwhelmed. I look forward to it.”
