Visiting Ohio - Day 2 - the afternoon

I included so many photos in the first part of Day 2 in Ohio that I am doing a second blog post for the rest of the afternoon.

Amish Country in Ohio.

I enjoyed driving through this part of Ohio. I can never see enough beautiful farm land and old buildings.

Millersburg Ohio

There are several publications about “Ohio’s Amish Country” and I pulled a map from one of them to figure out where to go in the limited time that I had. I started in Millersburg. This is the Holmes County Courthouse. The significance for me was that as I parked across the street I saw a couple of people scurrying around the corner of the building—they were trying to catch a cat that kept running into the alcove on the left side of the photo and then as they got close it would dart out and run across the street. It ran back and forth a couple of times before one of the people finally caught it as it ran under a car at the gas station across the street. Whew! I wanted that story to end well.

Clock tower in Millerburg Ohio.
Holmes County Courthouse in Millersburg, ohio.

Lady Justice on the courthouse below the clock tower.

Colonial Homestead in Millersburg Ohio

You can tell that many of these towns rely on the tourist industry. There were lots of antique shops but I found Colonial Homestead most interesting.

Tools in Colonial Homestead, Millersburg, Ohio.

It was more than an antique store—it was a workshop and the proprietor was working with someone who had just started learning how to use all these hand tools. The Visit Amish Country website says: “Over 8,000 antique hand tools for woodworking, blacksmithing, leather work, and other historic hand trades. Working 1800's woodshop and gunsmith. Fine antique furniture and furnishings (Pre 1900). No "crafts" or mass produced items. Museum-quality restoration of antique furniture and muzzleloaders.”

Hammers in Colonial Homestead in Millersburg Ohio

This was a fascinating store and I spent a lot of time there.

Tools at Colonial Homestead in Millersburg Ohio
Tools in Colonial Homestead in Millersburg, Ohio.
Hand drills in Millersburg Ohio.
Wooden trunks at Colonial Homestead in Millersburg Ohio
Sign in Millersburg Ohio

Notice the fine print: “Calling a fine, well built piece of furniture that has survived 150-200 years with some signs of use, ‘primitive’ is like calling an elderly lady ‘ugly’.”

Coverlet 1844 at Colonial Homestead in Ohio.

Jacquard coverlet.

Hackles in Millersburg Ohio at Colonial Homestead.

After I correctly identified these tools as hackles (for processing flax) the owner and I started talking about spinning wheels. He pointed me to the basement.

Basement at Colonial Homestead in Millersburg Ohio.

As if there wasn’t enough to see upstairs…

Pitchforks at Colonial Homestead in Millersburg Ohio.
Handmade ax in Millersburg, Ohio.

This ax was so heavy that I couldn’t lift it from the bottom with one hand. I had to hold it right up at base of the ax head.

Millersburg, Ohio.

The owner also pointed me up the street…

Hotel Millersburg, Millersburg, Ohio

…to the Hotel Millersburg where there are quilts covering many walls.

Quilts in the hotel in Millersburg Ohio.

There is actually a Quilt Retreat Center that is part of the hotel.

Horse and buggy sign in Amish country in Ohio.

Shops were going to close soon and there was one Must See on the list.

The Plaid Sheep in Berlin Ohio.

How could I not go to the Plaid Sheep Company?

Wool fabric in The Plaid Sheep, Berlin Ohio.

They focus on appliqué, quilting, rug hooking, stitchery, and other kinds of textile craft but, unlike any other fabric store that I have seen, they have shelves full of WOOL.

Wool fabric in The Plaid Sheep in Berlin, Ohio.

This was also a fun place to explore. I bought a few things that will give me ideas for future products using my wool, but I haven’t had time to pursue those yet.

Berlin Craft Mall in Ohio.

Across the parking lot was the Craft Mall and Antique Mall. These were packed full. All you shoppers out there could spend a full day just exploring these.

Buggy parking at Berlin Craft Mall, Ohio.

This is the horse and buggy parking between the craft mall and the Plaid Sheep.

More about that aspect of this trip in another post.