By conventional measures, an artifact has to have passed the century mark before it’s considered an antique. And if you apply that standard to Cullman’s Southern Accents, then the family-owned business that’s grown into one of the South’s premiere dealers of architectural antiques is, itself, already halfway home.

The downtown business celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, marking five decades since the late Garlan Gudger, Sr. widened his weekend hobby of antiques browsing into a full-fledged business.

“It’s a true family business,” reflected Garlan Gudger, Jr., who grew up alongside all the dust, detritus, and reclaimed beauty that was part and parcel of his father’s passion. “When I was a child, I would go to the flea markets on the weekend with my dad. I grew up with hands-on training, without knowing he was guiding me and teaching me the whole way.

“I’m blessed to be doing something I love so much every day, and our family — my sister, Joy, and now my wife, Heather — all the good people who surround us at Southern Accents; we all remain very involved. Even though my dad’s not with us anymore, I know he’s smiling.”

Gudger Sr. passed away last year at age 75, but he left behind a business that, thanks to two generations of perseverance and passion, outgrew its humble garage beginnings to extend an appeal that now resonates far beyond its Cullman confines. Under Gudger Jr., the shop has been recruited to provide set design and decoration for Florence-based menswear brand Billy Reid’s collection debut at New York Fashion Week; it’s been featured on the pages of national magazines like Garden & Gun; it’s been the focus of an episode of American Pickers, and — perhaps most importantly — it’s become a destination for antiques lovers nationwide; connoisseurs who consider Southern Accents a source of beauty that’s worth traveling any distance to experience.

Whether you’re there to drop five-figure funds on a reclaimed Antebellum mantlepiece or simply there to browse, the Second Avenue shop remains, as ever, a friendly and welcoming place. Gudger said the store has some home-grown commemorative activities in the works to celebrate its 50th anniversary, including a March 2 fashion show that’ll tie in with the Cullman debut of a major women’s fashion brand with Alabama roots.

To read more about Southern Accents’ deep and rich local history, visit the shop’s website at sa1969.com. And be sure to follow the shop on Facebook and Instagram to stay abreast of what’s in store.

“This store is all I’ve ever really known,” said Gudger, Jr. “We’re proud that we’ve been able to take our business to the next level from the time when dad first started out in his garage in 1969, and we’re especially proud to call Cullman ‘home.’”