Students at Mud Queen Pottery
“Good vibes only,” says a sign greeting pottery-studio students. “PEACE4LIFE,” proclaims a café blackboard. A shop owner selling mystical wonders hopes her customers find peace.
Has quaint Linglestown, Pa., found the secret to lasting peace? Well, I had a fun Saturday exploring its favorite haunts and hidden gems with a friend. I most certainly contributed to the Linglestown economy. I plan to keep going back.
Is this peace? Let’s call it contentment from a charming village getaway—a daytrip 10 minutes from home.
In 1765, first-generation German-American Thomas Lingle laid out 80 lots and called it the Town of St. Thomas. Locals called it Lingle’s town. The name stuck.
This was my chance to walk a village in Lower Paxton Township that is, in the parlance of real estate agents, “not a drive-by.” The street refresh and construction of roundabouts in 2015 were painful, but they preserved the hamlet’s cherished history and walkability, said Andrew Enders, president and general counsel of Enders, the family insurance business that has made Linglestown its home since 1979.
“We’ve often wondered how we can continue to improve Linglestown and grow organically and highlight what we have that is so special,” Enders said.
Starting the Day
So, there we are—me and Gina Napoli—sitting on the St. Thomas Roasters sofa, like Monica and Rachel at Central Perk but without the perfect hair. There’s only one place to start your Linglestown excursion. St. Thomas Roasters has been a Linglestown landmark since 2000, the granddaddy of local coffee shops, serving fresh roasts amid eclectic décor.
The history of Linglestown is hanging on the walls. Linglestown’s shop owners love displaying framed sepia photos of their buildings when they were the general stores, barbershops and pharmacies of a rural crossroads, reached by trolley or horse cart.
Gina was my local guide, just as funny and insightful a companion as she is a theater reviewer for TheBurg. On this blistering day, being the smart one, she ordered iced coffee. I drank regular coffee and will be sure to return when I run out of my favorite whole beans at home—the rich, medium-bodied yirgacheffe, roasted in St. Thomas Roasters’ famous Diedrich roaster that serves as décor and fills this bustling shop with enticing aromas.
St. Thomas tempts coffee-drinking customers with quiches and baked goods, but we had other breakfast choices. My husband and I are partial to St. Thomas Restaurant for its homey atmosphere, and oh, that baked oatmeal. But I had never been to Mellow Minded Café, where its mission of “PEACE4LIFE” is written into a giant tree chalked on the blackboard wall.
Founded in 2015, Mellow Minded is the rustic-glam spot for healthy, satisfying breakfast and lunch. Gina was good and got the avocado toast. I got egg and provolone on an everything bagel. Did I want bacon with that? Oh, what the heck. Eat your heart out, McDonald’s bacon, egg and cheese sandwich.
Families filled the tables, from grandparents to babies. At a table near us, Jennifer and Antonio were there with their kids, 1-year-old Dominic and 3-year-old Sophia, who were patiently waiting for their quinoa pancakes.
Jennifer said that they often do exactly what we were doing—coffee at St. Thomas Roasters, followed by a meal at Mellow Minded Café. Linglestown, she said, “is welcoming. It’s quiet. It’s friendly. There are a lot of cute shops here.”
She added that she moved to the Harrisburg area from New York City.
“I love it here,” she said. “It’s different from the raucous, crazy atmosphere there.”
Heart & Soul Books
Shop On
When it comes to shopping and dining, Linglestown offers quality over quantity, said Enders.
“I will speak for the entirety of our team at Enders that we love having a collection of restaurants and shops in walking distance,” he said. “I take as many meetings at St. Thomas Roasters as I do at the office.”
With coffee and breakfast, I had already boosted the Linglestown economy with some of my big bucks earned from TheBurg. Time to do more.
Outside Treasures from Home, a sandwich board proclaimed, “Purses are like chips. You can’t have just one.” That’s a hint to the finds inside this selective consignment shop. Two new blouses found their way into my wardrobe from the wide selection of meticulous, brand-name clothes.
And then there are the designer bags. Louis Vuitton. Kate Spade. Coach. Hardly a sign of wear, and all carefully inspected for authenticity.
Of course, every consignment shop has its, shall we say, quirky items.
“Is that a belt or a corset?” Gina suddenly asked, holding up a wide, black elastic belt that I would have rocked in the ‘90s. “That’s a sin. It’s a cry for help.”
Down the street, The Edit HBG boutique and gift shop was closed for the July 4 holiday. Bummer. Instead, we dropped into its sister business, Unveiled Bridal and Formal. Earlier this year, I had wandered into its discreet doorway almost by accident, and the friendly ladies helped me find the ideal dress just in time for a formal wedding.
On this day, we weren’t there for bridal wear, but all that satin, lace, and beading makes the head whirl like Cinderella before the clock strikes midnight.
“It’s nice to dream,” Gina said.
Wheel of Fortune
Mud Queen Pottery was on our must-see list. Alas, it was closed.
The vicissitudes of small business. When the owner has car trouble, the door is locked. But with the pottery and jewels we spied through the window, we pledged to return.
Instead, we wandered down to the 19th-century barn—one of many remnants of Linglestown’s rural past, including an outhouse I once spotted—that houses the studio. There, we found three pottery-class students practicing on the wheels.
With pottery, “you definitely have to be adaptable,” said Jared Covalt of nearby West Hanover Township. “It doesn’t matter what you want. It’s what you end up with.”
He pointed ruefully to the vase forming on his wheel.
“It’s supposed to be a bowl,” he said.
Frustrating, yes, said Emma Gottschall, of Midtown Harrisburg, but also “meditative. It’s something you do with your hands.”
And, added Jared’s wife, Sena Covalt, “When you get something back from the kiln, that’s very exciting.”
At Mud Queen, we learned about The Magic Is in You, a gemstone shop tucked inside a distinctive 18th-century stone cabin. We entered a side door into a mystical wonderland.
With wide plank floors beneath and heavy beams overhead, we had stepped into Linglestown’s origins, rejuvenated for the present. Salt lamps filled a tall brick fireplace. Bins overflowed with smoothly tumbled stones such as sardonyx and coral. A soothing bracelet of green prehnite beads, “a stone of protection & unconditional love,” now has a place in my jewelry collection.
Owner Stacy Swartz had been in business for 20 years when this evocative space became available in 2019.
“It got into my head, and I couldn’t let it go,” she said. “Things are showing me it’s meant to be.”
And, she added, “I love Linglestown. A lot of cute stuff has popped up.”
This is where I asked what she hopes her customers experience.
“Peace,” she said.
The Magic Is In You
Plot Points
Chef Tony’s Bistro and the Eagle Hotel Restaurant and Bar weren’t open yet, so before Gina and I ventured out for lunch with drinks, we made Heart & Soul Books our last stop.
“Books changed my life,” owner Ashley Bailey told us. Her story begins in a juvenile detention center, when reading was therapy. She shares new and used books that represent the scope of humanity. Free book clubs and story times attract readers of all types.
Titles in the children’s section included “Be an Eco-activist” and “A Guide for Young Truth Seekers.” Gina drew my attention to “My Little Golden Book About Frida Kahlo.” That’s one for my new great-niece, since I am, after all, the aunt who gives books.
I am so coming back, for books and blouses and bags. Here’s my plan. When I come to St. Thomas Roasters for my next pound of yirgacheffe, I’ll add time to keep exploring and doing my part for the Linglestown economy.
“Come and stay,” Geof Smith said. “You might surprise yourself.”
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
