Fire Destroys Olde Good Things Warehouse In Scranton, Penn.

Scranton, Penn.

:A December 4 fire destroyed a warehouse and its inventoried cache of antique architectural elements salvaged by Olde Good Things, a nationally recognized dealer with offices in New York City and Scranton. The fire, which news reports described as so intense that it forced the closure of nearby streets and suspended rail service along a portion of track belonging to the Canadian Pacific Railroad, involved a remote warehouse that the firm acquired about a year ago. The facility, used for storage, is not in direct proximity to the firm's national warehouse in Scranton off Providence Road.

"We at Olde Good Things are very thankful to Jesus that none of our employees, firemen or neighbors were hurt in the warehouse fire and that there was no damage to our neighbors' property," the company said in a prepared statement. Olde Good Things, which is a well-known dealer exhibiting at such shows as the three-times-a-year Brimfield Antiques Market, Farmington Antiques Weekend and the Pier Antiques Show in New York City, is owned by the Church of Bible Understanding. A portion of the firm's revenue from selling architectural antiques at shows and through its retail locations in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Hallandale, Fla., is used for its missionary work, such as supporting orphanages in Haiti.

Antiquers who travel the show circuit are familiar with the Old World Gothic letters of the firm's logo and its plethora of doors, lighting, fencing, gates, balconies, columns, newel posts, railings, stained glass — even kitchen sinks. And Brimfield adventurers are familiar with the sight of the bearded Kevin Browne, a company principal, bicycling energetically from field to field — last season Olde Good Things was set up in at least five different markets there — keeping his hand on the pulse of the firm's business.

At press time, none of the company's principals had responded to queries about the fire beyond issuing the prepared statement. An employee, Angelica Aroche, answering a phone call made on December 7 to the Scranton number, commented that company officials were busy working with customers who had lost merchandise in the fire.