Townsman, 1992-01, Page 15farmer's sausage, schnitzel, and
chicken. For desserts there are home -
style pies and apple dumplings.
To maintain the quality of the
tempting cuisine, a butcher shop and
bakery were established just down the
street from Stone Crock in 1977.
By this time, it was becoming
apparent, Mr. Martin said, that St.
Jacobs was becoming a destination of
many tourists and Mercedes began to
look at ways to capitalize on this, in a
way that would unobtrusively enhance
the Stone Crock, thus a gift shop was
added. With its inventory of hand -
stitched quilts, decorator accents, can-
dles and scents, china and glassware it
is a browser's delight.
***
As time moved on, various other
quality establishments sprang up in St.
Jacobs historical buildings. In 1978 a
furniture store took up residence in
the old mill, as did a potter. Today,
the furniture store is no longer there,
in its place is the St. Jacobs Country
Mill, home to many unique business-
es, like Mein Liebling Doll Shoppe,
Country Mill Doll House, The Glass
Bead Game and Hunsberger Galleries.
***
Toward the end of the 70's, St.
Jacobs had much to offer the tourists
in terms of food and shops, but not in
the area of culture, so in 1978 the
Meetingplace was established. A
Mennonite interpretation centre, it is
designed to help visitors understand
some unique aspects of Mennonite
history, lifestyle and beliefs.
Visitors are taken on a journey,
beginning with a 28 minute documen-
tary film. Also included are photos,
narrations, slide presentations, lighted
displays, replicas of a Swiss cave and
a Mennonite meetinghouse, the type
still used by Old Order Mennonites.
***
The next obvious need was
accommodation, so when one of the
old Snider estates became available it
was purchased and in July of 1982
opened as the Jacobstettel Guest
House. Advertised as "a place where
quiet can still be heard", the history of
the estate dates back to 1898, when it
was build by William Snider the
owner of the village mill. Set amidst
five treed acres, the guest home has
The Village Bakery has been a part of St. Jacobs since 1977.
12 spacious bedrooms each with its
own bath. The rooms are named for
the early settlers.
There is also a 400 square foot
seminar room, which keeps the guest
home busy during the off-season.
Cookies, muffins and coffee are
all always on hand in the coffee break
room for guests to enjoy at their
leisure.
Outdoors there are ski trails, a
tennis court, volleyball, badminton, an
outdoor pool and bikes.
An overnight stay at Jacobstettel
will cost anywhere from $95 to $150
per night, depending on the choice of
room. The price includes breakfast
and snacks.
***
It was clear, by the mid -80's that
St. Jacobs was considered a viable
destination, so further strategy was
put into place to enhance the village,
while at the same time preserving its
historical nature. As further properties
became available they were acquired.
In 1984, the former blacksmith shop
was purchased and today, you will
find new craftsmen there, using time-
worn methods to produce modem art.
A glass blower was located in the Mill
shed. The O.J. Smith Shoe Co.
became the Old Factory, where space
was made for the Maple Syrup Muse-
um, which was organized by a group
of people from the community. "The
effort was being made to recruit old
world craftsmen, " said Mr. Martin.
***
Housed in the former hotel, Ben-
jamin's Restaurant and Inn was
added to the business community in
1987. The building was built in 1852
by Joseph Eby, a local settler, to pro-
vide food and lodging for stage coach
travellers. Today, its exterior approxi-
mates the original with its window
style and placement, wall lantern and
even a watering trough.
In the dining rooms there are
open hearth fireplaces and rare fur-
nishings.
For overnight guests Benjamin's
has nine distinctive guests rooms, and
like Jacobstettel, each bears the name
of a local settler. The rooms offer tra-
ditional touches with modern com-
forts. The "Weber" guest room also
serves a a seminar room.
***
Across the street from Ben-
jamin's, in the former W.A. Snyder
General Store is the Snyder Merchants
building. It was renovated in the style
of the latter part of the 19th century
and opened for business in 1988.
That same year a factory was
purchased and opened as the River -
works Retail Centre in 1989.
Mr. Martin said that the purchase
of the latter two establishments nearly
doubled the merchant activity in the
village, a fact that Mr. Shantz takes
pride in. "The development of St.
Jacobs has created a lot of
entrepreneurs. There is a great deal of
satisfaction in knowing that."
"We have tried to preserve his-
toric buildings and re -introduce old
world crafts. The tourism industry is
the dominant one in St. Jacobs ( the
TOWNSMAN/JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1992 13