Hidden Gems Of Hartford And Tolland Counties

ENFIELD, CT — When we started the Hidden Gems series nearly a year and a half ago, never did we imagine we'd feature a business in existence for more than six decades that is impossible to find without a GPS, or at least a map (remember those?).

High Grade Finishing was founded in 1959 by Edwin Ainsworth and his wife Joan. They began their antique furniture restoration business in an 1,800 square foot building on Print Shop Rd. in Enfield, and by the end of the 1960s had expanded the facility to 6,000 square feet. Beginning in 1976, their 15-year-old son Russell would walk to the shop to help his parents upon completing the day's classes at Enrico Fermi High School (a mere mile and a half jaunt, one way).

Rus gradually mastered his skills and developed an appreciation for the superior craftsmanship and quality of older furniture, and he began buying antique furniture to restore and sell. He took over the business in the 1980s, and soon met his future wife and business partner, Valarie. She honed her skills and developed her own niche within the restoration process.

Among the many services provided by the couple are restoration, complete refinishing and stripping (for the do-it-yourselfer who wants a piece stripped properly). High Grade also has an outstanding working relationship with several local upholstery experts.

So why is it difficult to find the shop? Print Shop Rd. is a small connector street on thewatern edge of Enfield off Moody Rd., known primarily as an access point to nearby LEGO. There are a few small businesses on the road, but it is certainly not a high-traffic area garnering tons of curbside viewing.

High Grade Finishing may be reached by calling 860-749-8883, or by emailing info@highgradefinishing.com. Examples of Rus and Val's incredible work may be found on their website.

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The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Hartford and Tolland counties. Do you have a favorite "hidden gem" in the area that you wish to see featured in this column? Email your ideas to tim.jensen@patch.com.

Other columns in this series:

• Craig's Kitchen
• Sikorsky S-16 Bi-Plane Fighter
• Navy ZNP-K Airship Control Car
• Rosedale Farms & Vineyards
• Nathan Hale Homestead
• Burke Ridge Farms
• Necker's Toyland
• Civil War Monument at Mt. Hope Cemetery
• Gene Pitney Memorial Benches
• Joe McCluskey/Manchester Road Race Statue
• Samuel Field Knight Historic Marker
• Carol's Lunchbox
• Country Casuals
• Dakota Restaurant
• Country Cobbler
• Beau's Burger Shack
• Daniel Glazier Tavern
• Mount Southington Ski School
• Awards & More
• Marquis de Lafayette Monument
• The Little Red Store
• River Bend Bookshop
• Gerry's Donuts
• Traveler Restaurant
• First Decorated Christmas Tree
• The Stanley-Whitman House
• Vernon's Santa House
• Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut
• Old Country Banquet Hall
• Brazilian Gula Grill
• Thomas' Smokey Pit Stop
• Congregational Church of Burlington labyrinth
• Noah Webster House
• The Bushnell's Green Room Wall
• Belding Wildlife Management Area
• The Aborn Castle
• Heublein Tower
• Birthplace of Jonathan Edwards
• Grave of Revolutionary War Soldier Heman Baker
• Jessica's Garden, Lobster and Ice Cream Shack
• Shade Swamp Sanctuary
• Ken's Corner Breakfast & Lunch
• Tolland Red and White
• The Packing House
• Cold Harbor Seafood
• Nye Holman State Forest/Heron Cove Park
• Hosmer Mountain Soda Shack
• Connecticut Trolley Museum
• Matterhorn Mini Golf
• Wood Memorial Library & Museum
• Hastings Farm
• Liquid Nirvana
• Iwo Jima Survivors Memorial Park
• Academy Hall
• Southington Drive-In
• Little Theatre of Manchester at Cheney Hall
• Somersvillage Gifts & Gourmet Baskets
• New England Civil War Museum
• The Pinchot Sycamore
• Stafford Palace Theater
• Mansfield Hollow State Park
• Old Tolland County Jail and Museum
• Hill-Stead Museum
• Mark's Restaurant

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