Volant keeps focused on adding to its allure

May 2, 2010 at 12:05a.m.

By MARY GRZEBIENIAK

VOLANT, Pa.

This quaint village of 120 residents has long been a popular day trip for tourists for its collection of specialty shops nestled along Pa. Route 208, just east of New Wilmington.

After some $2 million worth of improvements to its 1812 gristmill, efforts continue today to restore the mill and to expand the activities. Spurring the restoration efforts is the Volant Community Development Corp., which bought Volant Mills in 2006, says Karen Rockenstein, the group’s secretary/treasurer.

According to “On the Banks of the Neshannock,” a 1993 history of Volant, the village was known in the 1800s for the buckwheat flour ground at the mill and boasted a railroad, two hotels and even a college during its heyday, which lasted until the mid-1900s.

Today, Volant is a commercial center of a different type, drawing buses full of tourists interested in the kind of merchandise they can’t find in department stores. On some special-event days, 3,000 people pass through town.

Although the development corporation owns it now, Rockenstein says it was village resident Bill Kingery who bought the dilapidated mill in 1984 with an eye toward rescuing it. Kingery began restoring the building and operated it as a mercantile and antique shop for years. He also bought the old general store across the street and turned it into a clothing store — a move that spurred other shops to locate here.

“It mushroomed from there,” Rockenstein recalled, noting that today, there are approximately 26 shops and restaurants here. Even the recent tough economic times have not been too hard on Volant, where a new bead store opened earlier this year and a new antique store is set to open this month.

A sampling of existing stores includes two restaurants, a winery, an art gallery, a fly-fishing store and stores featuring teas, bulk food, gourmet food, vintage clothing, fudge, kitchen items, American Indians and wildlife items, children’s items, Irish gifts, leather, outdoor flags and heritage lace.

Now the group’s goal is to restore the mill’s equipment to a point where it has limited grinding ability and can generate electricity to power the building. The aim is to make the mill an educational center where operation of a gristmill and alternative power would be demonstrated.

Toward that end, the mill, with its easily recognizable decorative paddle wheel out front, operates as a store featuring Amish furniture, quilts and rugs, dolls, hats bonnets, jams and jellies and other items. Profits go to the restoration effort.

The other two officers of the corporation are President John Giedner and Vice President Bob Myers. In addition to the mill, the corporation owns two houses immediately west of the mill and the included property and outbuildings.

Another local group, The Volant Merchants’ Association, works with tourist-promotion agencies in Lawrence, Butler and Mercer counties to draw tourists and markets the area at bus-company conferences to draw tour groups.

In addition, the Lawrence County Economic Development Corp. helps with grant applications. But Rockenstein noted, “Our best advertising is word of mouth.”

Rockenstein said the restoration effort has drawn private and government funds that have been used to reinforce the three-story mill’s foundation, redo the floor, replace 16 beams and rewiring.

The next major project is restoring the dam to its original height so there will be enough water power to run the turbine under the mill. The group just got a $10,000 state grant for engineering on the dam and has applied for other grants. And Rockenstein said the corporation just got a grant from an anonymous donor to help complete renovation of the grinding equipment.

Rockenstein said her group has many other plans and is looking to book musical acts to perform a series of mini-concerts this summer.

Though they can’t offer any compensation, Volant can offer “the stage, the people and the atmosphere,” she said.

The group also would like to have an Amish-style restaurant and would be willing to help someone develop one. In addition, there are now public gardens where they hope to host weddings. A seasonal schedule of events and other information is available on the Web site www.volantshops.com.

Despite all the tourists and shops, Volant is still basically a small town and closes down at 5 p.m. every day, Rockenstein says, so that residents can walk their dogs and the kids can play.

Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.

Starting this month, group tours are available.

For more information, call Volant Mills at (724) 533-5611 or e-mail patti6939@yahoo.com