Vintage ‘history store’ owner talks business in Historic Jackson Square
Linda Johnston sits among various items at her store in Historic Jackson Square. (photo:Ben Pounds )
But Linda Johnston, the store’s owner, says she has a vision for what she sells.
“I view my store more as a history store,” she said. “I tend to gravitate toward items that you don’t see every day or that are eclectic or weird.”
She listed midcentury modern style, vintage items and art as interests.
The middle of the store is divided into areas featuring different styles of furniture and decor.
Toward the front are jewelry, posters, books and comics. At back is a clothing area with a wonderland theme. Throughout, there are chess sets.
Johnston said her focus on 20th-century styles rather than earlier, Victorian ones was part of her store’s evolution to keep up with changing demand.
She doesn’t mind it. She described herself as looking for “what I like.”
Through the Looking Glass Antiques and Collectibles is at 209 Jackson Square.
Historic Jackson Square is near the Wildcats’ Blankenship Field and the Oak Ridge Playhouse, the city’s community theater. Still, it’s away from Oak Ridge’s now-main roads.
Johnston said it was the city’s “original downtown,” dating to its World War II days.
She described it as a good place to be, praising the playhouse and the dining options at 201 Café and Wine Bar and Dean’s Restaurant and Bakery.
“Jackson Square to me is like a gem,” she said.
She also said small businesses appealed to visitors looking for local color.
“You don’t go to the mall,” she said. “You don’t go to the chains. You go to the mom-and-pop places.”
She called small businesses “the backbone of communities.”
Jackson Square is also a host to events including the Lavender Festival in the summer and the Christmas market this Dec. 2, 9 and 16, both featuring vendor stalls on the square.
Johnston said she does not view the stall vendors at festivals as competition.
“The whole purpose is to increase foot traffic to the square for the businesses,” she said.
“It’s a win-win for everyone,” she said, adding that even visitors who don’t get anything will browse and see that her store is there.
The area outside of Through the Looking Glass is also home to the Jackson Square Blessing Box, a group of shelves where people can drop off and pick up items for free. Johnston started it at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic as a place for people to drop off and pick up cleaning supplies and toilet paper. Since then, it’s expanded to include food and books.
