Died and Gone to Heaven

The above title is pretty much what I posted on Facebook the other day with one of the photos below to enhance. This past weekend my family took me on a two-day adventure for a belated birthday. We went to a major garden, a nice restaurant, an overnight at a small hotel, a state park and then finished with a book barn! The grands were so good about not being bored because these were not the types of activities they find fun or interesting...except for being out of doors! Photos on the family may be to follow in another post.

Above is the Baldwin Book Barn in Chester County in Pennsylvania. This independent book store was founded in 1946 by the Baldwin family.  It is located in a five-story barn built in 1822 which continues to have all the charm of that history.  

Part of the barn was home to the Baldwins for years.

The store contains thousands and thousands of books: used, really old, first editions, new books, those signed by the author, etc.  It is a paradise for some of us and was truly a step back in time when I entered the front door!

There are narrow hallways and tuckaway rooms, tiny wooden stairways that take you up to mysterious corners and more rooms covering the four stories of the barn with plenty of chairs everywhere to sit, catch your breath, and read!

Two elderly folks greeted us with exceptional warmth and charm.  It was as if you were visiting your grandparents!  

Books are EVERYWHERE including some grouped in grocery bags on the main floor.  Those in grocery bags have been priced but not yet shelved and rest in corners here and there.  Some prices were only 4 or 5 dollars with others much more.

There are expensive pricey first editions that you can actually hold in your hand and smell the leather covers and peruse.  There were very old books in another area with inscriptions on their flyleaf telling the history of the gifting of the book on long ago Christmases.  My son found one inscribed in 1809!

There are children's books for the grands to look at although it is not a place for toddlers.  We stayed only about 20 minutes due to time constraints, but I got four books and hubby got 2 and we tried not to spend too many dollars.

The book barn is located in a lovely rural area in the Brandywine district among the open lawn and woods.