Pope Valley Antique General Store, Saloon On The Auction Block

NAPA COUNTY (KPIX 5) -- The Pope Valley General Store in northern Napa County is a place where time stands still, but not for much longer once the property goes on the auction block Saturday.

Built in 1874 as a stage stop for stage coaches served as the center of town life for nearly 100 years. But in 1971 the owner died in a car crash and the place was locked up for good, that is, until today.

The property has become a gigantic time capsule of sorts. The store's shelves are still stocked with antique canned goods. Every nook and cranny is jammed with the stuff of days gone by. Brad Kirkpatrick inherited the place through marriage.

"Tell you the truth, we have never really cleaned this out," he said. "My wife, me -- I don't know what's here. I don't know."

But it's not just a store. There is an old saloon complete with antique cash register and a bulldog with a bullet hole, thanks to a drunken customer.

There's a 6-room hotel upstairs with original furniture including a turn-of-the-century version of an indoor toilet. This old switchboard connected the locals by phone, and a ham radio reached people across the country. And the Model T stored out in the barn still runs. Brad's friend Dave Anderson says people move too fast these days.

"It's important to have a place where time stands still," Anderson said. "And this is a place where time stands still."

But Kirkpatrick says it's time to move on, so the entire 12-acre property will be sold on Saturday. Items can be purchased by lots or the whole thing can be had for just shy of $2 million.

"We have to clean it out, look to a new era and let people enjoy it as what it is," Kirkpatrick said.

There will be a viewing of the property on Saturday at 8 a.m. The auction starts at 10:30 a.m.