Will, an enthusiast since the late 1950’s when his father gave him two family Civil War swords, met John while employed as a Quality Assurance Engineer in the pharmaceutical industry. John also had a lifelong passion for historical artifacts, complemented by interests piqued during a tour of duty in Vietnam. Both became fascinated with the incredible array of historical weapons and artifacts on display at the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, Massachusetts, which led to more arms fair, gun show, and auction trips across New England in search of rare and fine military collectibles. In time, as their collections outgrew the spaces they lived in, both began to sell duplicates and eventually began a part-time mail-order and gun show business. They parted ways in 1984, with Will forming Nor’East Militaria, specializing primarily in original Civil War artifacts.

In 1993, the business moved to a larger 2,200 square foot facility in New Bern at 2100 Trent Boulevard. By 1997, due to the continually expanding nature of the walk-in trade, Battleground Antiques, Inc., was established in a 5,000 square foot building located at 3910 US Highway 70 East, square in the center of the line of the Battle of New Bern of March 14, 1862. By 1998, an additional 6,000 square feet were added to accommodate a full Textile Conservation and Restoration Facility as well as the Civil War book inventory of Bill Mason Books, an established business from Michigan which closed in 1998.