T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Lisa Amos welcomes customers to the Melting Pot Marketplace, offering antiques, handmade crafts and classes for crafters in downtown St. Clairsville.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Melting Pot Marketplace on Main Street opened its doors to meet the needs of antique lovers and handcrafting aficionados.

“There’s no other store like this in downtown St. Clairsville. There’s a little bit of everything for everyone,” owner Lisa Amos said.

Amos, who is from St. Clairsville, worked in teaching and marketing before deciding to pursue her passion for antiques and collectibles as a business. She saw a need for such a business when speaking with similarly interested friends.

“We never had any place to come together, so I opened up the Melting Pot Marketplace so that everyone could display their wares,” she said. “It’s my first store of my own. I’ve been selling antiques and collectibles since 1995 in a range of places all over the valley from Pittsburgh to Columbus, Cambridge, Wheeling, and now I opened my own, but it’s a twist.

“It’s not just vintage and antiques. We have approximately 14 vendors in here, and they range from candlemakers to soapmakers, woodcraft, custom furniture design. We have farm-fresh eggs from a local farmer. I bought a special fridge just for his eggs. We have crafters that make handmade candies, treats.”

The business also features hand-knit scarves, custom photo puzzles and metal signs. The store is a retailer for Fusion Mineral Paint from Canada.

“It’s not a chalk paint, but it’s full coverage. It doesn’t require any top coats. Not a lot of prep work with it,” she said.

The Melting Pot will also provide opportunities for customers to stretch their artistic wings.

“Also when the weather breaks, we are a ‘makery.’ We will host people to come in and do things like ‘paint and take.’ They bring a piece of furniture in, we’ll redo it in the store,” she said. “We’ll have a candle making class. We’ll be doing cooking classes and makery classes to make a variety of items.”

Amos said the business is also a venue for other crafters.

“We also offer a consignment store in the back with clothing and accessories,” Amos said. “People can rent racks and then sell their wares back there as well. Purses, clothing, shoes. We have some men’s items. Children will be coming soon, someone will be doing that. We have basically things for everyday life. Just very unique items.”

The store features items from the Appalachian Craftsman, which incorporates resin into some designs. It sells handmade fudge, and Amos pointed out a vintage furnished Marx tin dollhouse.

“We have a place where everyone can showcase what they love to do.”

The business is located at 128 W. Main St. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Sundays and Mondays will have “makery” events. The phone number is 740-827-4974. The business is also on Facebook and Instagram.