The new Springtown General, opened only last month, already is buzzing with activity.
Owner Jamie Wright said, “I wanted it to be an everything store.” And that’s what it is. A place for locals to pick up that single missing ingredient for dinner – or the last-minute greeting card or gift. Wright has it all. And that includes fresh floral designs and potted plants.
A professional gardener and florist, Wright wanted to open her own shop but didn’t think the neighborhood could support a single-item store. She also saw a true need for a store that offered much more.
In addition to that, she was frustrated by having to drive the extra miles to Hellertown, the nearest town, to pick up that last-minute bottle of ketchup or olive oil, and she figured other residents shared her sentiments.
Perhaps most of all, she yearned for a sense of connection to the community, something she missed after moving from Pipersville two years ago.
So, she put all these ingredients together and opened the Springtown General Jan. 5. Tucked into a row of old, but renovated, buildings planted right on Route 212 the shop has a Dickensian air with its huge glass windows beckoning customers to enter.
Inside, it’s airy and gleaming with polished bottles and jars, hardwood floors and a tin ceiling lending a charming and old-fashioned atmosphere. The building actually housed a general store in the 1800s, Wright said, as she pointed to the store’s original weathered sign on an interior wall.
Wright lives only two-tenths of a mile from the store so she walks to work every day. Soon after she arrives, the coffee maker is bubbling away and the teabags are ready, welcoming customers to that all-important morning mug and fresh pastry. They can sit at a small counter or table or relax in comfortable chairs and even access free Wi-Fi.
Wright has confined her foods to one area of shelving and there’s an amazing array of goodies in cans and jars and boxes. A refrigerated case offers things like eggs and bacon, milk and ice cream as well as prepared dishes from Nelli Rae’s Kitchen, a vegetarian restaurant in Revere, and Local Mama’s Catering Co. in Hellertown.
Elsewhere, there are pet foods, produce, greeting cards, some office supplies, toiletries and jewelry.
Wright, who is creative herself, said, “I definitely want to support local artists,” and pointed to the pottery and textiles made by local artists and artisans displayed on one wall.
She is already turning a large back room into a kind of community classroom where she can teach flower arranging and gardening and bring in others to offer classes in knitting, crocheting, and art. Other classes already scheduled include leather tooling, needle felting and printmaking. Details are on the Springtown General’s Facebook page.
“There are plenty of others out there who wear as many hats as I do,” Wright said. “Springtown can benefit from a center like this.”
The store is open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There’s a parking lot behind the store.
