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Antique phonograph
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bottle of wine
Antiques and Chardonnay may be Hermann’s best-known draws, but the civic secrets are what you’ll remember.
By Matthew Halverson
Photography by Frank Di Piazza
If you’re not paying attention as you cross the narrow metal bridge that spans the Missouri River and ushers you into Hermann—and let’s be honest, with lanes as narrow as a Daewoo, you’ll have more important things to pay attention to than street signs—you’ll drive right past First Street and its row of antique shops that make this charming little burg worthy of a two-hour drive west.
You would, however, be going the right direction to find Stone Hill Winery (1110 Stone Hill Hwy, 573-486- 3479, www.stonehillwinery.com). And really, the only way to kick off a day of antiquing is with the warmth of a Pinot Noir to loosen your wallet and deaden your nose to the must and dust you’re sure to encounter. What else would make that non-functioning vintage Coors neon sign seem like a smart purchase?
Vino detour behind you, point the car north, head back toward the river and hang a right at First. No fewer than six shops of vintage goods are packed into two blocks, and even those storefronts that aren’t in the antique business—Heritage Insurance and Downtown Deli come to mind—display bric-a-brac of all shapes in their windows.
The wares run the gamut at Antiques Unlimited II (205 E. First, 573-486-8860), from a Hello Kitty electric pencil sharpener to a striking and unexpected 3-foot-by-5-foot, purple-and-green stained-glass window for $575, tucked away behind shelves and garden implements as if a shopper short on funds were trying to hide it for a later purchase. Pete’s Plunder Antiques (211 E. First, 573-486- 3900, www.petesplunderantiques.com) is like a furniture store from the past, sporting a vintage refrigerator (with a working motor!), drawer pulls and bed frames.
You’ll find standard tchotchkes like covered wagon–shaped salt and pepper shakers and even Hermann phone books from the ’60s at Find in Time Antique Mall (220 E. First, 573-486-9121), but the gem here is a framed letter from Pat Boone, who’d apparently been asked to pick the 1960 “yearbook queen” from the Elsberry High School annual: “You people should be very proud of your pretty Missouri girls.”
The Hermannhof Winery (330 E. First, 800-393-0100) is just another block east on First and well within walking distance, but why not pony up $15 and rent a bike for the day from Hermann Ride, Rest & Go (215 Schiller, 573-486- 9170)? After an hour of taste-testing, you’ll want a nonmotorized vehicle. If Stone Hill is Hermann’s Anheuser- Busch of wine, then Hermannhof is their Schlafly. Since opening in 1852, this boutique winery’s only break from churning out ports and blancs came during Prohibition, and with its general-store aesthetic and easy-going atmosphere, you’ll wonder if the operation has changed much since then. Sunday tours of the cellar are DIY, and you’ll get a tongue-in-cheek warning about the ghost that supposedly haunts its dank rooms.
Spirits of another sort entirely call the German School home (312 Schiller, 573-486-2017). Converted to a museum in 1955, this old school house holds all manner of Hermann history, from sepia-toned photos of the first car in Gasconade County to framed German currency, from vintage schoolmarm clothing to an honest-to-goodness schnitzelbank. (Sure, it’s just a German workbench, but the accompanying Schnitzelbank Song makes it a fun little piece of workshop memorabilia.) If you’re lucky, Connie will be working, and she’ll regale you with old stories of poor George Bayer, the town’s founder, who fell out of favor with Hermann’s citizens, and treat you to a few new ones, like the rumor that Stone Hill planted grapes on its front lawn to keep tipsy tour-goers from somersaulting down its slopes.
Come to think of it, missing First Street as you come into town and heading straight to the German School might not be such a bad thing after all. Starting your day with a lesson on civic secrets from our friend Connie could be the best way to really appreciate this little community in Missouri wine country.
