Page 22 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2020

COAST NOTE
Paige Riley and store manager Susannah Snyder.
Hillyer House in Ocean Springs is known for many things: its welcoming sta , the smell of freshly brewed co ee, and mirrored shelves lled with beautiful creations just to name a few. But 50 years ago, the store that has become a pillar of the Ocean Springs art community was just getting its start.
Following the destruction of Hurricane Camille in 1969, the Coast was nearly unrecognizable. Amidst the rubble were bits and pieces of priceless antiques, heirlooms with years of history that had been passed down through generations.
“My great aunt Nellie, my mother, Katherine, and their friends saw that there was a need to refurnish as homes were rebuilt,” said Paige Riley, Hillyer House’s current owner. “Hillyer House started in my great aunt’s living room in the Pass, specializing in ne English antiques.” A short time later, they found a building on
Scenic Drive and made the move. “Our original logo was Sherlock
Holmes,” Riley recalls. “That was because Nellie went all over Europe and United States searching for speci c treasures to replace those that clients had lost in the storm.”
Along with antiques, the store sold American reproductions, original art, high end fabrics, ne china, crystal, silk owers, and even o ered design services. But in the mid-’80s, the women of Hillyer House started to see a troubling shift in the market.
“Many things were being imported from China – they weren’t the well-built, beautiful items we and our customers loved. That was when our focus shifted to American made.”
Hillyer House rebranded, taking the mermaid as its new mascot. A nod to the store’s passion for art, she was painted by
the famous artist, Pat Odom.
While times haven’t always been easy,
Riley attributes her continued success to her customers and supporters. “Thank you to our amazing clients and friends. You have become family to us and have been by our side through four generations. I have had the pleasure of seeing little girls come in and play as their mom shopped; Twenty- ve years later they are our beautiful brides registering for their own treasures. Each client has been such a gift to me.”
Riley is grateful for her amazing team headed by Susannah Snyder, her manager, buyer, strategic planner and great friend.
Celebrates
Years
MARCH 28
50 YEAR CELEBRATION
KICKOFF - ANNIEGLASS EVENT 11A.M. - 3 P.M.
Fresh New Colors • Guest Artist Monthly Events Artwork Giveaways
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photo by Donn Hupp
22 | March 2020
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Hillyer House
920 Washington Ave., Ocean Springs
228.875.8065
www.hillyerhouse.com
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