Staff photos
A Christiansburg couple believes in the written word, and they are hoping to attract more people to both old and new novels in a unique way.
Ken and Heather Vaughan opened a spot in the Cambria Station Antiques location over a year ago and recently expanded their selection of hardbacks to over 1,200 sq. feet.
They have been selling and buying books for over 10 years, and both were able to quit their full-time jobs as the book business has really taken off.
Their business is known as Old New River Books, a family-owned book business ready to help with your book buying needs – any genre, topic or theme. Thousands of books line the shelves at the historic structure in the Cambria section of Christiansburg. They have been specializing in buying and selling used books since 2014.
When considering a way to separate the area from other parts of the store, they had seen unusual pieces of art that drew attention to books. That’s when they come up with an arch constructed out of books.
So, they began 10 months ago, and now the arch is 80 percent complete, being made up of nothing but books. Yes, books.
They started from the outside and have been working their way to the top, placing long screws to stabilize the books, so it will not fall.
“We just love the arch and think it will be one of those attractions that stand out from other places,” said Ken.
He hopes to have the arch completed by July 1. Several special books are not locked into the artwork, instead visitors are able to pull the books out and open to find candy inside.
“We were thinking about children when we added the secret books,” Ken said.
In their online description, the couple asks: “Is there anything prettier than turn of the century bindings?”
“We just love books and having something in your hand that you can feel and read,” Heather said.
Again, the archway of books should be completed by the first of next months, and if you have any extra hardback, novel sized books in smoke free and mildew free condition that you would like to donate to our goal, Old New River Books would appreciate them to help finish the arch.
News Messenger staff report
