VINEMONT, Ala. – Located along U.S. Highway 31 in Vinemont, the freshly opened Amish Gallery brings a connection to the Amish community to Cullman.
A traditional Amish buggy parked out front catches the eye, and then the door opens and guests are greeted with a fresh cedar aroma, beautifully crafted rocking chairs and dining table sets made of different woods, and various candles, which look (and smell) good enough to eat. The candles take the forms of their fresh-baked scents, shaped to look like actual pies.
Further inside are belts hanging on the wall, various types of rolling pins, dumpling cutters, stirring spoons, hand-woven baskets, Amish-style clothing, hickory swings, more baskets, birdhouses in the shape of acorns and natural soaps.
Store owners Larry Drake and Jovelyn McDonald shared what inspired them to open the store.
“We were in Tennessee a couple of years, and I’ve seen how the Amish do all their stuff, which amazes me because I cannot see it anywhere else,” McDonald said. “I thought it would be cool to bring it in Cullman, since we don’t have it here.”
McDonald laughed, “We opened up just a month ago, and I’m a little freaking out, because a lot of people are liking it and buying it, which is a good problem. We’re going to try our best to bring more stuff in here, because I love it and I know a lot of people are going to love it, too.”
McDonald said everything in the store is handmade. She and Drake either visit the Amish community or send a letter to order more items for the store.
“At least once a week we try to go there to get stuff from them, and that’s how (they) deliver,” she said. “It’s a lot of work. Unlike a lot of other furniture shops, they just have to order and delivery goes to them, but over there (the Amish community), you have to go to them personally to get it. If we make an order, they send us a letter saying it’s ready, so we have to go back there and get it.”
The Amish Gallery is located at 18131 U.S. Hwy. 31, Cullman, AL 35058. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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