Reuben Wade's Antiques has technically been a part of the Midlands community since 1974.

Wade Kleckley's first antique business was on Meeting Street in West Columbia. He and his brother sold antique items they found in an old car dealership, gifted to them by their grandfather for business use. And just recently, he brought his love of antiques to Lexington under the Reuben Wade's Antiques name.

“We took these old finds out to the side of the street and ended up making about $400 by the time all of the items were sold,” Kleckley told the Chronicle about his original business venture. “After that, we knew we were onto something and started our trade from there.”

The pair then started Granddaddy Reubens on Meeting Street in a building belonging to an old family business. Later, Kleckley opened Sugar Hill Antiques and Gifts on the corner of Andrew Corley Road in Lexington.

That store remained in business for about seven years. After its closure, Kleckley retired, though he continued collecting antiques for his personal collection until recently, when his family encouraged him to come out of retirement to open his new location on West Main Street in Lexington.

The Town of Lexington welcomed its first antique store, Reuben Wade's Antiques, to West Main Street during the ceremonial ribbon cutting that took place on Wednesday, May 14.

“My daughter owns the building we operate out of now, which is shared with her business, Carolina Behavior and Beyond. During the pandemic, she sent all her 40 employees to work remotely, and it left this building nearly unoccupied,” Kleckley said. “I had so much personal collection and antique inventory, I was talked into coming out of retirement and sharing my treasures with the community.”

He said he is proud to start Reuben Wade's Antiques and Fine Art with his son-in-law, Brent McCullar.

“Moving to the new space has been a blessing, because this one building houses my daughter’s business that my wife also works for, and then now Brent and I are operating the antique store here as well. Our family has two businesses that share operations under the same roof, and that is really special.”

Being a Lexington history enthusiast, Kleckley finds antiques and collectables that have a connection to early Lexington development.

“This is not your regular antique store. I sell items that are pieces of history," he said. "Many of these items are rare and you may not find again.”

Of the many items for sale, Kleckley shares that he has the original Lexington County Jail sign that was used at Lexington’s first jail, which is now the present-day courthouse. He also has artwork, furniture and sculptures that are very valuable.

“We specialize in pre-Civil War items, specifically items from the sixteenth and seventeenth [centuries],” he said. “We source our items from private sales, auctions and private estate sales. These things you will never find at a thrift store or ‘run of the mill’ antique store.”

Kleckley also shared that he enjoys telling the history behind each piece.

“Apart from selling my merchandise, I feel led to share the history behind the items being sold," he said. "Oral history is becoming a lost art. I feel it’s my job to do my part in passing it down to customers and the next generation.”

While Wade Kleckley’s store may not be Lexington’s first antique store, he is proud to be the first one to come to the downtown area on West Main Street.

“We are the real deal," he said. "Lexington has never had something like this. Our goal is to be Lexington’s finest high-end antique store by setting the standard for local antique shops.”

Kleckley said he looks forward to welcoming antique enthusiasts and customers from all over the Midlands into his store.

Reuben Wade's Antiques and Fine Art is located at 214 West Main St.