COATESVILLE —
While perhaps best known as the home of Heritage Lake, Coatesville has much more to offer residents and visitors alike these days.
The small town is on the western most edge of the Hendricks County and just a short walk to Putnam County. And it is buzzing with new businesses.
Nikki Valorani and her husband Jerry own and operate the Red Horse Livery at the Lodge. It opened in September and has a variety of antiques, hand crafted items, and art.
The building was the local Mason Lodge until about a decade ago. It has also been home to a church.
“My husband and I just kind of fell into it,” Valorani said. “I now have 27 dealers work in here. It’s mostly art or crafted items.”
Valorani is an artist herself. She paints on wood.
“I worked at the Danville Antique Mall for many years,” she said. “We used to have events out at our farm but our barn was too small. This building just seemed to fit.”
For more information on the Red Horse Livery, call Valorani at (765) 386-2959.
Downstairs, Lorri Knapp and her husband Jim have opened the Scottish Pearl — a stained glass, metal, and jewelry studio. Lorri Knapp is the artist.
“My family is Scottish,” she said. “He came here from Scotland and his mother’s name was Pearl. So that’s how we came up with our name.”
Knapp has worked with stained glass for 18 years and jewelry for 15 years.
“We’re doing this to help raise money for children’s and women’s organizations,” she said.
In January she’ll begin offering classes. Students will also be able to get their supplies from the Scottish Pearl.
“I also have gift items and can create custom pieces,” Knapp said. “For example, if a bride comes in and she wants jewelry made for her wedding party. They can pick out what they want and I can make something special for each one of them.”
For more information on the Scottish Pearl, call Knapp at (765) 386-6662.
Another new business is Cinnamon Girls Bakery & Cafe that opened in May at 8026 Main St., in what used to be known as the Bread Basket Café. The small business is owned and operated by Jill Nichols and her daughter, Lindsey Nichols.”
Jill Nichols got her start in the bakery business at age 15. Her parents, Cecil and Nancy Turpin, owned and operated Cecil’s Famous Cinnamon Rolls as one of the first food stands at the Covered Bridge Festival in Mansfield.
The Turpins did several festivals, including the Indiana State Fair, where some very famous people have tried their cinnamon rolls, which are made from scratch. Nichols and her sisters became known as the Cinnamon Girls.
In addition to the rolls, the bakery also offers pies, cakes, breads, and more. Hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. To place an order, call the bakery at (765) 386-BUNS (2867).
“I’ve been told my Ruebens are the best in the county,” Nichols said. “We’re getting lots of orders for pies and cheesecakes. Things are going pretty well.”
The Hairhut and Floral Boutique has been open at the corner of Main and Milton streets for four years. The shop offers a full-service hair salon and full-service florist. There are also a variety of gift items available. For more information, call 765-386-2222.
brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com
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