1866 Revival Set to Open
Thursday, June 13, 2019
by Bailey Basham, Messenger Staff Writer
Mandi Oakes has had a love of antiques since she was a little girl. She remembers fondly the first piece of antique jewelry she found, and now years later, old rhinestone brooches have a way of catching her eye.
Oakes owned her own antique store in Chattanooga until she met her husband, Joseph Oliver. He also had an antique store. With the two businesses between them, there was little time for breaks.
To settle into a slower way of living, Oakes and Oliver moved to Sewanee. They brought with them their love of antiques, something they hope to share with the rest of the Mountain by way of a new store opening this month, 1866 Revival.
Drawing inspiration from the second founding of Sewanee, 1866 Revival will offer primitives, industrial, mid-century modern design, as well as other home decor pieces and locally-made soaps, candles and art.
Oakes said the couple found the building, which is the former location of Julia’s, about three months ago. Ever since, they have been transforming 24 University Ave., into their vision for the store.
“My husband and I have done similar stores on larger scales before, but we’re just trying to slow it down. We were open 7 days a week previously. We’ll only be open Wednesday to Saturday in Sewanee,” Oakes said. “We adopted a 2-year-old and we’re trying to step back. Coming to Sewanee was really about us looking for the small town atmosphere and the community. We’re also just trying to bring in something different to the area.”
Oakes and Oliver plan to open the store toward the middle of the month. For updates, visit