WHY GO: Lawrence County PA, and its towns of New Castle and New Wilmington, and smaller Volant, has done a pretty good job keeping its growing foodie scene and cool attractions a secret.
Home to Westminster College, the very first Warner Bros. theater, an Old Order Amish community, some restless spirits who haunt an abandoned institution, and innovative chefs who’ve set top restaurants in chicken coops and churches, Lawrence County PA won’t be that hidden getaway much longer.
Add a romantic in-town inn, and you’ve got the perfect escape with your beloved. Just read on for the best things to do, the best restaurants, and where to bed down in Lawrence County PA.
For more ideas on where in PA to travel with your sweetheart, check out these 30+ Top Romantic Getaways in Pennsylvania.
Things to Do in New Wilmington PA And Nearby Volant in Lawrence County PA
TOUR: Simple Life Amish Tours With Susan Hougelman, Meet in Volant
What’s it like being on a four mile stretch of residential farmland without seeing one telephone or electricity pole? Like going back in time. And that’s just how you’ll feel on the two hour Simple Life Amish Tour With the lively and passionate Susan Hougelman.
When Susan and her husband owned the Tavern on the Square Restaurant in New Wilmington (soon to reopen under new management as simply “The Tavern”), people would ask her, “Where can we see the Amish?”
Ever the businesswoman, and with friends in the Amish community, Hougelman manifested her new life as a tour guide ten years ago. She’s done about 8,000 tours since then – sometimes four or five per day – with up to six people at a time.
Hougelman is an animated storyteller who clearly loves what she does. While driving, she starts with Anabaptist history and their core beliefs: Baptism in adulthood, in the world but not of it, pacifists, humble life, etc.
Old Order Amish in Lawrence County PA
Although first settling in Lancaster PA in the early 1700’s, a more conservative group settled in New Wilmington in 1840. Now, with roughly 2,500 members in the community, Lawrence County is home to the fourth largest Amish settlement in Pennsylvania.
We pass by Amish homes (white with blue doors), and horse-drawn buggies (distinctive here for their orange color) – all the while learning about Old Order Amish culture.
Homes have no electricity or indoor plumbing. “Ice boxes” are truly that. No fridges. Blocks of frozen water come from an “Ice Man.” And, these Amish heat their homes and cook with anthracite coal (a harder, cleaner coal).
As a humorous aside, Hougelman points out the “attached” outhouses – enclosed within the house – which solves the problem of “going” outside in winter, yet still adheres to the no-plumbing rule, as toilets empty directly into a septic tank right below.
New Wilmington PA Amish are known for their freshly made donuts, which in my opinion puts Krispy Krème to shame (and, I’m a big KK fan). So, Hougelman takes her guests to the home of Steve and Sarah Byler, where you’ll find some of the best of those treats on Heather Heights Rd.
And, depending on your interests, she’ll also stop at The Peach Lady (Teena), Gideon and Jake Kurtz Woodcraft, an Amish Grocery Store, and Neal’s Harness Shop (known not just in the Amish community, but by equestrians around the country).
Hougelman’s Simple Life Amish Tours are a win-win for both the Amish and “English” – as she imparts knowledge about another culture within our midst, and allows us to add to their economy in a way that both shows off and adheres to their way of life.
SHOP: Volant Village Shops @ Volant Mill And Volant Stores
This tiny village of shops – Volant Village Shops @ Volant Mill include a two-story repurposed mill filled with gift-shoppy, cutesie wares. The whole town (if you can call it that) is actually a shopping district, with several more clothing, gift, and oddball stores, like the adorably irreverent Wicked Little Witches.
SHOP: Downtown New Wilmington PA
There aren’t many stores and services on New Wilmington PA’s main street, but what few there are – are definitely worth stopping into. Each one has its own unique flair, and we recommend them all.
Rebecca’s Salon
If you’ve got a nail or hair emergency – or are just in need of a soothing hydrafacial treatment – Rebecca’s Salon (next door to The Inn On Market) will fix you right up.
The Silk Road Fair Trade Market
This Fair Trade market has a fair amount of fun jewelry, clothing, teas, and funky gifts displayed whimsically and thoughtfully throughout two floors.
LeChic
What I at first took for a perfume and purse shop favored by beach going Boomers is actually quite a captivating collection of pure and natural hand soaps, dish soaps, all purpose cleaners, clothing, candles, bath and laundry products, books – and something called a “Baby Bump Box.”
And yes, there’s perfume. LeChic owner, Debbie Anderson, makes many of these herself. She encourages customers to use their own glass bottles and refill a slew of household and body products at the “Refill Station.”
Small Circle Bookstore
I fell love with this used book store the instant I set my eyes on the “Banned Books” table. Though the front room is stocked with tomes of every kind, the back room is where the action is. Especially on rainy days.
There are games, science experiments, reading nooks, and programming for home-schooled kids and others in the local communities. Plenty of Amish Moms love to buy children’s books here.
101 West Vine
You’ll find gifts here for everyone you know – in every category. Weddings, newlyweds, babies, kids, housewares, gardening, kitchen, cooking, recreation, games, clothing, with a huge dose of greenery. Be prepared to stay for awhile. You’ll want to comb through everything to find that perfect thing.
Things to Do in New Castle PA
VISIT: Historic Warner Cascade Theatre Museum, New Castle
The Historic Warner Cascade Theatre Museum opened on October 8th, 2022 in the exact spot where the Warner Brothers got their start. When you hear the name of a major motion picture company – you most likely think of the thousands of people who now run and work for it. Not of those who founded it.
But the Warners Brothers were real brothers. And their business began here.
The Warner Bros. empire originated in the Western PA town of New Castle, in 1907. Barely out of their teens and in their 20’s, Abe, Harry, and Sam Warner (baby Jack would enter the scene later), impoverished Jewish Polish immigrants who moved to Youngstown OH in 1895, set up shop in a space slated for demolition about 20 miles from home.
Harry had been selling suits at Kaufman’s Department store in Pittsburgh, and noticed that the Nickelodeon Theater next door was always crowded. Brother, Sam, worked as a projectionist at Cedar Point. Together, the brothers purchased a portable projector and spent months traveling around Ohio and PA, showing flicks at fairs and in temporary digs.
So as not to compete with the growing number of Nickelodeon theaters in Youngstown, they found an empty hotel bar room, large enough for a theater, in then up and coming New Castle PA.
But they were still so poor, they couldn’t even afford seats for the theater. They had to borrow 99 of them from a local funeral parlor. (If you had any doubts about the Warner’s living conditions, the museum displays a painting of a tumbledown shack that Jack Warner, on one of his frequent visits to Youngstown later in life, recognized as his family home.)
First Warner Bros. Theater
That first Warner Brother movie theater – Cascade – opened on Feb. 2, 1907 in the room to the right of where you stand when you enter this museum. A newspaper notice of the day announced, with marketing bravado, that “from all indications, a large crowd will be on hand to witness the pictures that will be presented.” And, “Every lady who attends will be given a carnation:” perhaps launching the first ever Date Night.
Soon, the brothers opened a second theater – the Bijou – on the left. (Now, you can watch short films of the time in both of these rooms, set up as they would have been in 1907.
The first of many good business decisions, the Warner Bros. realized that if they owned the movies and distributed them to theaters, they’d make more money than if just renting them each time to show. Enter, Warner Distribution Company, April 1923.
Yet another turning point came with the advent of sound technology engineered by Western Electric Co.. Most movies houses of the day spurned sound, as they saw their silent craft as “real acting.”
Advent of the Talkies
Prescient Sam Warner, a techie, saw “talkies” as the future, although the other three brothers did not agree. It was only when Sam threatened to leave to open his own movie theater, that Abe, Harry, and Jack decided, in 1927, to humor him. They bet big by opening a Warner Theater in NYC in which to show the very first sound feature: The Jazz Singer.
Their intent was to prove Sam wrong, but sadly, Sam passed away the day before The Jazz Singer premiered as a crowd favorite. Sam never got to revel in the fact that his intuition paid off. His determination ultimately forced other silent movie theaters to change over to sound as well.
In yet another bold and prescient move, the Warner Bros. acquired Western Electric that same year, providing another source of revenue by selling their own proprietary Vitaphone Sound System to all the theaters now scrambling for “talkies.”
This history – and the history of the Warner Family – lines the walls of this small museum, along with movie posters, pages of hand-drawn Bugs Bunnys, mementoes, and ongoing projects. You can spend as much or as little time here – and if you’d like a tour, guides are happy to provide.
I’ll leave you with this: at least one Warner family descendent is still in showbiz. Those who watch the TV series, Yellowstone, might be surprised to learn that the man who plays Rip – Cole Hauser – is the son of Cass Warner Sperling – and Harry Warner’s Great-Grandson.
GHOST TOUR: Haunted Hill View Manor, New Castle
This massive Poor House/County Home turned Skilled Nursing Home turned abandoned complex is spooky enough – even during daylight hours – without the mention of unexplained phenomena.
But add a Haunted Hill View Manor guide, who delves into disturbing tales of murder, mayhem, and, well, things that go bump in the night – and day – and your imagination is activated big time.
A short back story: In 2004, when Hill View Manor Nursing Home closed it doors, Helen Triko and her husband purchased the sprawling brick complex, intending to turn it into condos. But Triko’s husband passed away, and Helen had no desire to put in the time and money it would take to develop the site.
Fortunately, as it turns out, former skilled nurses and Hill View Manor employees had “stories” about supernatural things going on while they were on duty. So, naturally (or SUPER-naturally), producers of Ghost Hunters approached Helen, who started imagining a whole new use for her property.
Since then, every paranormal show worth its ectoplasm – Last Portal to Hell, Destination Fear, Ghost Adventures, Ghost Hunters – has visited. Many more than once.
Right about now, inquiring minds are asking, did I take the tour? Well, yes. Yes I did.
And did I “experience” anything? Um, read on.
My guide was the young, loquacious, funny and engaging Donnie Graham, who’s been doing this for almost a decade and posts and streams on Insta. (Ghost Tours are Social Media gold, don’t you know).
History of Hill View Manor
Graham begins with historic details: building constructed in 1925 as the Lawrence County Home. (The “Poor Farm” in 100 year old vernacular). It ran as such for 40 or so years, managed by a nefarious – some would say, evil – couple: Perry and Mary Snyder.
The Snyders turned the Lawrence County Home’s backyard into a mass grave – murdering unfortunates, burying them in the woods, while continuing to collect money from the county for their care. Consequently, the Snyders were ousted from their jobs in the 40’s, but not until after they made quite the killing.
In 1977, the County Home became Hill View Manor Nursing Home. Most locals remember someone who lived (and died) here. Much of the paranormal activity is attributed to this era. And many of these entities can be identified because nurses kept detailed notes on the patients.
Respecting the Spirits
Graham believes in respecting those who lived here once, and who still might be hanging around. So, rooms where patients died are filled with the things they loved. Mary Virginia loved Mardi Gras beads and dolls, so her old room overflows with them. When asked, she’s been known to move the beads, now looped over bedrails, without a puff of wind.
There’s a little kid in the basement who flips his stuffed bunny ear from time to time, and another who moves balls around. Steeler’s fan, George, the maintenance man, waves the team towel in the furnace room. And don’t even think about sitting in Bill Boot’s favorite chair.
One North (the newest wing), has a corridor so long, you can hardly see it end to end. It’s “famous” for its Shadow People: apparitions without faces that suddenly peek out of doors or follow you as you wander down the hall.
And yet – though my tour was creepy, and incredibly entertaining, I didn’t see those Shadow People. In fact, I didn’t see, feel, or hear anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps because it was a sunny summer day. Perhaps because I’m not attuned to such antics of the afterlife.
But was the tour worth it? 100%! If only to hear some great stories and to say I did it.
Haunted Hill View Manor runs weekend overnights for the very brave, special events, private investigations, and even weddings. RSVP online for a daytime 1 1/2 or 3-hour tour or other opportunities.
HIKE: McConnells Mill State Park, Portersville
If McConnells Mill SP, with its covered bridge and mill building, seems familiar, and you’ve never been here, you might recognize it from the Christian Bale film, Pale Blue Eye. Several foreboding scenes were filmed here.
Just 10 miles outside of New Castle, and 40 miles from Pittsburgh, this spectacular 2,546-acre park encompasses the 930-acre Slippery Rock Creek Gorge (a National Natural Landmark). It features four waterfalls on 11 miles of trails of various lengths that take you through otherworldly rock formations, and along a ripply, sometimes very swift, ribbon of water. It’s beautiful, shady, and cool – even on the hottest days.
You might see rock climbers rappelling or bouldering, and experienced kayakers on the water. However, this is not a place to try to prove yourself hiking on slippery rocks or kayaking on various degrees of whitewater without the necessary skills. Warning signs are everywhere. According to the State Park website “Numerous accidents here have resulted in injury and death.”
So, if you’re unsure of your footing, stick to the easier trails (despite the name, the one mile out and back Hell’s Hollow Trail is one), or join a tour of the historic 1868 gristmill. Naturally, the covered bridge right outside it is a hotspot for photos.
GO: Cascade Park, New Castle
Once an amusement park, and now a city park with baseball and softball fields, bocce court, dog run, dance pavilion, Nina’s Italian Ice stand, fishing, and walking trails: Cascade Park’s defining feature is still its waterfall.
VISIT: Lawrence County Historical Society, New Castle
The Lawrence County PA Historical Society is a repository of all things Lawrence County PA – and offers tours, maintains exhibits, promotes books by local authors, and runs special events.
Where to Eat in Lawrence County PA
EAT: Georgetown Eats, Volant (GPS Address – Dinner Bell Farms)
Though it sounds as if Georgetown Eats could be the hot new college spot in Washington DC, this Georgetown Eats is on Georgetown Rd – 6.5 miles from the hamlet of Volant, through farmland and not much else. Which makes this fantastic, family-farm set eatery, even more of a find.
Delightful chef-owner, Francine Schmid, moved from Pittsburgh and purchased this farm in 2017. She went about converting the old chicken coop. next to the main house, into a restaurant using a door from the 1800’s that she found on the property as a kind of talisman.
Schmid’s main goal was to support her farmer neighbors – all ingredients come either from her farm or from others just down the road – but word spread. Packed on a random Wednesday night, tiny Georgetown Eats has become a talked about “farm-to-table” restaurant, with exceptional, clean food, and sublime pastries.
EAT: VentiSei Winery, Wine Bar and Pizzaria, New Castle
“Our concept has always been, ‘welcome to our dinner table,’” says amiable chef/owner of VentiSei Denny Flora. Set inside a former church, built in 1900, and renovated in a vibrant, contemporary style, Venti Sei turns out Flora’s delicious wines – along with pastas, pizzas, calzones, and other Italian dishes fantastic enough to melt the heart of this Connecticut/New York gal who’s suspicious of any appiza outside of the tri-state area.
Flora, a 6th grade teacher for 24 years, and his wife, Raquel were married in this church before it came on the market. Denny purchased it as a pottery studio for Raquel, and though that didn’t take off, this restaurant certainly has.
Tucked away in a residential neighborhood on the edge of town, it’s fairytail-lit patio was full of happy diners on a June Thursday night. And, snug inside the chapel, you could just feel the love. (Or, was that Flora’s excellent Cabernet Sauvignon?).
COMING SOON: The Tavern (On The Square), New Wilmington
Anticipation is building in New Wilmington for the reopening of The Tavern – an iconic restaurant under new ownership – right in the center of town. Slated for a Fall 2023 first look, this fine-dining establishment, in a renovated 1800’s building, will have one of only two liquor licenses in town.
COFFEE/WINE: Pulse Coffee and Fractured Grape, New Wilmington
These two complimentary businesses – Pulse Coffee and The Fractured Grape – share a storefront just a block from Inn at Market. It’s a cool, pleasant corner shop with painted brick walls, floor to ceiling windows, and filled with spider plants. And a human skeleton. (Why? The Fractured Grape is owned by a Chiropractor – which explains the name of the wine bar, and the bundle of bones).
EAT: Locals Also Love
Greek inspired Bakluva (Mediterranean wraps, Grape Leaves, and fantastic baklava and gelato) brought to you by the Neofotistos family, and brand new Creperie – both in New Wilmington. Nova Destinations, with a Winery, Cidery, Brewery, and Distillery is centered on a lake in Pulaski PA.
Where to Stay in Lawrence County PA
STAY: The Inn on Market, New Wilmington
Brian and Angel Derrick have lived in New Wilmington PA, a Mayberry RFD town if there ever was one, for over 30 years. But when this private main street home listed for sale in 2021, they snapped it up.
The Derricks renovated and expanded it into the 4-guest room, two apartment, luxury Inn on Market, and opened it in 2022.
Formerly, a Health Care company CFO, Brian is an active participant in an initiative to renovate commercial and retail building facades on his block and the next, which in turn has attracted and continues to attract indie boutiques, coffee shops, and more. (See under “What to Do in New Wilmington”).
As the Inn at Market is just steps from Westminster College, parents of students have discovered this chic yet homey place. But, the Derricks also found that travelers on I- 80, loath to stay in chain hotels, are also starting to book here.
New Wilmington, home to a large community of New Order Amish, is just 50 minutes from Pittsburgh, an hour from Erie, and 1 ½ hours from Cleveland, OH – making this a perfect, offbeat, and romantic place to spend a couple of days.
First Impressions of Inn at Market
Based on my history with small-town PA B&B’s, I expected dolls and doilies. What I got was a handsome, boldly colored, platform bedded guest room, fresh brewed coffee right outside my door prior to breakfast, and an upscale experience.
Common rooms are cool and comfy with studded leather armchairs and other upholstered seating– perfect for hunkering down after a long day touring or hiking around.
The Dericks have a playful eye for design. In the enclosed patio, they placed a couple of navy blue wicker chairs near a stained glass representation of the Inn that a friend had made for them.
Rooms at Inn on Market
Each room is different – eclectically decorated. Mine was contemporary, chic, with bedding that cradled my body in comfort. Glorious.
Bathrooms – newly created from extra bedroom space – sport luxury features, like marble-top sinks and handsome charcoal colored tiled glass showers.
The most romantic bathroom has a stand-alone tub.
Breakfast at Inn on Market
In addition to the fresh brewed coffee right outside 2nd floor rooms at 7:30am, the Derricks whip up a several course gourmet breakfast each morning. Perhaps you’ll start with a mouthwatering Fruit, Yogurt and Granola Cup followed by Baked French Toast – or Veggie Frittata. Whatever it is, you can be sure that it’s delicious, and beautifully plated.
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