Middlefield is the crown jewel of Geauga County Amish Country. Of the more than 12,000 Amish who have settled in the eastern half of the county, most call the village’s surrounding townships and countryside home.
The Amish are skilled craftsmen who readily employ their skills in woodworking, metalworking and leatherworking.
And while the rolling hills, natural lakes and ledges beckon visitors to explore area’s rich cultural history, Middlefield also is the perfect destination this holiday season for a day or two of shopping, dining and lodging.
Harrington Square, 15561 Kinsman Road, is Middlefield’s largest shopping center, with an exciting mix of more than 20 retail stores and other professional services for your village shopping convenience. Be sure to visit Halstead Furniture and indulge yourself in its complete line of La-Z-Boy recliners, sofas and chairs. Family Dollar and Sears has a wide variety of holiday gift ideas. You can also stroll through the inside of Harrington Mall and find Maggie’s Donuts for a sweet treat.
For that special guy this year, check out RadioActive Electronics, 15624 Kinsman Road, your local consumer electronics experts. Specializing in high defenition television from the digital conversion to the lastest in state of the art flat panel televisions and home theater, you can find it at RadioActive Electronic — your trusted source for anything cellular, car audio, auto security, remote starts, satellite tv, and home entertainment.
If you haven’t been to Watson’s 87 Furniture, 15520 Kinsman Road, lately, you need to stop in during your day of shopping. Watson’s 87 Furniture is a family owned and operated company that has been a Middlefield fixture for almost four decades. Inside, you’ll find some inviting new reclining sofas waiting for you. With dozens of reviews that laud their customer service, quality products, and hometown friendliness, Watson’s 87 Furniture will go out of their way to accommodate your personal tastes.
If you like cheese, well, you’re in the right town. Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op, located east of state Route 528 on Kinsman Road, is the first place to stop. Amish farmers refrain from use of growth hormones or steroids to assure a delicious natural product. You can find Marble, Colby, Marble Hot Pepper, Hot Pepper, Monterey Jack, Mild Cheddar, Co-Jack Longhorn, many of them grass-fed varieties. And there more inside including cheese curds, homemade jams & jellies, honey, maple syrup, candies, gift boxes, deli subs, party trays and even a general store.
Venture into Amish Country and stop in Amish Home Craft Shop, 16860 Kinsman Road. Amish owned and operated, inside you will find fresh baked goods, quilts of all sizes, wallhangers, crib quilts, woods items, centerpieces, place mats, baby items, rugs, hickory rockers, gifts and more.
At Byler’s Kiln Drying, 17673 Nauvoo Road, shop for kiln-dryed hardwoods and fugured hardwoods — hardwoods that are not plain but have figures such as “bear scratches,” bird’s eye, blister, burl, curl, dimple, fiddleback, flame, “ghost,” quilted and spalted.
Looking for white turquise, sterling silver jewelry, South Dakota gold, Native American artifacts? Country Arts & Jewelry, 15864 Nauvoo Road, is where you want to stop. You will also find denim & T-shirts, Amish & country items, candles, gifts, beads, supplies and Minnetonka moccasins & sandals.
One-of-a-kind handcrafted items, cherry &?oak furniture, sofas, curios, living & dining rooms, bedrooms, bookcases, rockers, entertainment centers, frames, prints, computer desks, Backroad Artist items and more are available at Countryside Furnishings, 16403 Nauvoo Road.
Yoder’s Furniture, 16109 Shedd Road, is home to handcrafted furniture, including entertainment centers, rolltop desks, rocking chairs, gliding horses, gun cabinets, gift items and rhythm magic motion clocks.
How about new windows, doors or siding for that someone special this holiday? The place to go is O.A.R. Vinyl Siding & Windows, 12880 Clay St.
As winter weather settles in, everyone could use some new shoes and boots, and there are no better places to shop in Middlefield than Mel’s Shoes, 16189 Burton-Windsor Road, and Mullet Footwear, 4853 Kinsman Road.
Mel’s Shoes N More is an Amish-owned store that offers a wide variety of shoes for all ages including hiking boots, work boots, athletic shoes & kids shoes. It also carries harnesses and a variety of giftware along with Amish hats and clothing.
Mullet Footwear sells shoes and boots for the whole family, including name brands such as Red Wing, Danner, Carolina, LaCrosse, Hush Puppies, SAS and more. In addition to shoes and boots, Mullet’s offers line of outdoor lawn furniture, Berlin Gardens Gazebos and Poly outdoor lawn furniture.
But no trip to Middlefield is complete without dining at Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen, 14743 Old State Road. Mary Yoder’s is noted for good, old fashioned Amish home cooking. And be sure to stroll through the bakery and gift shop.
Want to make a weekend trip to Middlefield? A must is Red Maple Inn, 14707 S. Cheshire St., in Burton. Imagine yourself high atop a hill overlooking the rolling farmlands and forests while smelling the aroma of a hearty Amish breakfast. Also consider The Kirk Farm Bed & Breakfast, 7900 Girdle Road, a former Amish (now Yankee) farm surrounded by rolling countyside.