All Arts and History in Ste. Genevieve County

Sassafras Creek Originals – Where Early American Life Directory Craftsmen Create Heirloom Quality in an 1850 General Store At 311 St. Marys Road in the heart of Sainte Geneviève’s historic district, Sassafras Creek Originals occupies the circa 1850 Brooks House—a two-story brick building transformed into colonial-era general store where owner Kandye Mahurin (selected for Early American Life Magazine’s Directory of Traditional American Craftsmen eight consecutive years) and fellow Directory-juried artisans showcase hand-crafted Colonial/Primitive Early American folk art that meets museum-curator standards for authenticity, scholarship, and period-appropriate materials and techniques. This isn’t a shop selling colonial-style imports from overseas factories—Sassafras Creek’s rigorous quality standard requires that at least 75% of merchandise is American-made, with vendors carefully selected from the prestigious Early American Life Directory, ensuring every game board, bandbox, redware plate, woven coverlet, piece of tinware, and folk art creation represents genuine traditional craftsmanship using period materials, tools, and techniques that curators at Colonial Williamsburg, living history museums, and motion picture producers rely on for authentic period pieces. Step inside rooms arranged like an old-time general store and discover heirloom-quality handcrafts preserving American artisan traditions rapidly disappearing in the digital age. The Early American Life Directory: Museum-Quality Standard Sassafras Creek Originals’ Read more…