Tara Antiques

Tara Antiques was a general store and antique shop run by Miss Mary Shaffer in Vienna.  While the exact dates that the shop operated are unknown, it was at least known to be in existence in 1972 according to a letter found that was mailed to the store's address on Warren-Sharon Road, Vienna.

The store was in an unattached building on the property west of her home on Warren-Sharon Road.

The shop was named after the property in the movie, "Gone with the Wind," one of Mary Shaffer's favorite movies. 

The atmosphere in the store was that of a 19th century general store.  Mary Shaffer explains, "The general store was a common sight in earlier days and I've tried to recapture this atmosphere as I stocked my antiques and installed the store's fixtures.  All of the items were gathered within a 40-mile radius, so we can be certain that they are representative of things in use when the general store was common."  Most of her items for sale at the store were purchased from auctions and estate sales.

The door to the shop was salvaged from the office of a physician from Vienna who died in the 1920s.  The door's original finish was restored and the wavy glass was preserved in the door's window.

Besides being an antique enthusiast and history buff, Mary Shaffer was a registered nurse at Northside Hospital in Youngstown, limiting her shop hours.  A sign on the door of the store read, "Open by chance or appointment, usually evenings."

It is not known exactly when the business permanently closed but an advertisement was found in 2003.

The Final Cut Barber Shop currently occupies the building where the former Tara Antiques shop was located, at 4340 Warren-Sharon Road.

Mary Shaffer passed away on July 28, 2020.  Click the link for her Find a Grave memorial.

Contributor: Christine Novicky