Employee Ida Grace straightens an Amish quilt in New Wilmington. The store sells a variety of locally made products, including furniture and hand-woven rugs. Collin Crombie, owner of the Peddler, said people from all over the United States buy Amish-made furniture in town.
New Wilmington has strong ties to Amish
NEW WILMINGTON, Lawrence County — When crossing streets in New Wilmington, visitors should watch their step.
Nevertheless, the evidence of horses passing through this small community is part of its charm.
A private college, friendly neighborhoods and strong Amish ties have given the borough of New Wilmington a strong hold on its history and a respect for simpler times.
College students account for nearly half of the borough's 2,450 residents, creating a market for coffee shops and pizzerias.
The town is also a center for country craft lovers, quilters and shoppers, offering a wide variety of locally made wares.
JoAnn McBride, executive director of the Lawrence County Tourist Promotion Agency, said she has seen visitors from Spain, Italy and Norway, all visiting Western Pennsylvania to catch a glimpse of Amish life.
"There's such an attraction there because it's such a different way of life," she said.
From the center of Butler County, several paths can lead you to the heart of New Wilmington.By taking Route 8 north to Route 173, travelers can pass through Slippery Rock and Grove City, meeting up with Route 208 near the Prime Outlets.Alternatively, sightseers may choose Route 422 West, passing Moraine State Park and scenic Lake Arthur.Just past Interstate 79, travelers can hop on Route 19 to meet up with Route 208, which travels through tourist-friendly Volant before becoming Neshannock Avenue in downtown New Wilmington.From Route 19 travelers also can travel to New Wilmington via Route 956, a winding road passing through fields, old farmhouses and Neshannock Creek, eventually becoming South Market Street.Once in downtown New Wilmington, free, three-hour parking is available on either side of South Market Street.For weekend visitors, Saturday is the best day to visit New Wilmington. In respect for the culture and faith of its Amish and Mennonite citizens, most shops and attractions are closed Sundays. Weekday visitors should also note several businesses are closed Mondays.
Storefronts in the small downtown are charming — even a chain pharmacy has a hand-painted wooden sign, contributing to a historical appearance.Passing by denim-clad college students and buggy-steering Amish families, the downtown area includes two small grocery stores, coffee shops, art galleries and several eateries.Like most college towns, centrally located gourmet coffee and a casual atmosphere have a magnetic effect on students.Mugsies coffee shop on South Market Street offers students and locals a caffeine fix and a hot spot for wireless Internet service.Inside, warm, golden walls display a variety of local art, available for purchase.The menu, written in colorful chalks on blackboards, includes an extensive list of coffee, espresso and tea concoctions, and several seasonal soups and foods.The campus of Westminster College is just a short walk from the coffee shop.Following the songs emanating from the bell tower of the college's Old Main building, pedestrian visitors enter a campus with a landscape of stone and brick buildings as varied as the fall leaves.In addition to Old Main, sites of note include Hillside Hall, the campus' oldest building, built in 1885, which now serves as a residence for female students.The college's Orr Auditorium serves as home to its Celebrity Series including music, theater and dance performances.Centered in Amish country, McBride noted students at the Presbyterian college have a unique opportunity to learn about culture off the school's campus."They learn from one another," she said.
Unlike neighboring Volant, where craft stores, gift shops and restaurants stand lined up on a main road, finding New Wilmington's treasures takes a bit of exploration.A short drive from the campus provides visitors with a view of an entirely different culture.The roads outside of New Wilmington's borough offer scattered family owned gift shops and furniture stores. The drive also provides a glimpse into the Amish presence in the area.While traveling through town and on surrounding roads, it is important to stay alert and be prepared to slow down and carefully pass the brown carriages, unique to the Amish sect of the area.Despite the tourist attraction of this Old World lifestyle, the county's tourism and convention bureau advises visitors not to take pictures of the Amish, in respect for their traditions.Traveling north on Market Street, a store selling Amish furniture is just a few blocks away.Auction Road, a left turn off Market Street, is home to an Amish Auction House and simple Amish cemetery, easy to miss from its roadside location near High Street.Heading west on Neshannock Street in New Wilmington, the Amish Outlet offers a variety of souvenirs, books and recipe books highlighting the Amish culture.
Just out front of the store, which sits at the intersection of Routes 18 and 208, Amish women sell fresh baked goods from a roadside stand.Heading south on Route 18, the Apple Castle is an ideal location to purchase a pumpkin for carving or other locally grown produce.The general store and farmer's market offers a variety of country products, including an innumerable flavors of jellies, jams and fresh apple cider.Margaret Radermacher, who has worked at the Apple Castle for nearly 10 years, said in addition to their produce, their fresh doughnuts keep people coming back."We have an apple spice which is made with cider and apples and we have a honey wheat, which gets a sugar glaze," she said.R. Lyle Johnston, king of the Apple Castle, said his store offers 80 different apple varieties throughout the year.For the adventurous, cider is also offered in the form of a slushy ice drink, a treat Radermacher said is enjoyed by all ages.Entertaining as well as functional, shoppers can watch bees crawl through honeycombs in a glass display case, just next to a display of honey products.Though bustling even on weekday afternoons, Lyle's fruitful empire will become even busier Oct. 14 during its annual fall festival.Radermacher said the event will include entertainment, hayrides and craft vendors."We're a lot of fun to watch too,"she joked of the friendly staff.The Amish Peddler, to the east on Route 208, sells a variety of locally made products, including furniture, quilts and hand-woven rugs.Collin Crombie, owner of the store, said people from all over the country buy Amish-made furniture in New Wilmington."I think there's something to be said about knowing that a table wasn't made in a factory line,"said Crombie.In addition to the personal touch, customers can have furniture made to custom sizes and out of a selection of wood, personalizing their furniture to their space.The inviting porch of the store is lined with handmade rocking chairs, which though for sale, offer visitors a quiet place to relax and watch horses and buggies pass by.Having lived in New Wilmington for less than a year, Crombie said this quiet, slow lifestyle is what visitors find compelling."People just see a simpler way of life,"he said. "It helps remind them of a simpler time, when people didn't have so much to think about. They can just sit back and relax."
Employee Shirley Baker mans the counter at the Apple Castle in New Wilmington. The general store and farmer's market offers a variety of country products including jellies, jams and fresh apple cider. The store also offers 80 different apple varieties throughout the year. Shoppers can also watch bees crawl through honeycombs in a glass display case.
Baker is chief doughnut maker at the Apple Castle. Among the types are an apple spice, made with cider and apples, and a honey wheat with a sugar glaze.
The front porch of the Amish Peddler store in New Wilmington is lined with handmade rocking chairs which, though for sale, offer visitors a quiet place to relax and watch Amish horses and buggies pass by.
This community bulletin board and small park on Market Street add to the small-town ambiance of New Wilmington.
