From Aldie to Hamilton, a New Home for Mattingly’s restoration, but “in our travels, we started seeing outdoor furniture in Pennsylvania and started bringing it in. It did better and better each year.”
stock has been challenging ever since Covid hit, increasing most people’s interest in making their stay-at-home time more comfortable. Material costs are up, too, by 30 percent, and wait times for delivery can stretch to 34 weeks.
The family eventually decided to go all in on the Amish.
“Everything now is what I can get in a reasonable time,” Mattingly said.
Inside its 3,500-square-foot building, that “all in” includes Mattingly’s Amish Outdoor a bevy of colorful Adirondack Furniture, a fixture for more than Photo by M.J. McAteer chairs in multiple manifestations, Don Mattingly Jr. three decades, wasn’t a casualty Mission-style chairs, rocking of the pandemic. It simply chairs, gliders and footstools. Prices range from $18 for decamped to Hamilton, after the property it had a tree-bark birdhouse with an old metal roof to $876 for rented was put up for sale. a large glider with dropdown cup holders. After a brief hiatus to regroup, Mattingly’s now is A few pieces are made of pressurized wood, but that open on the main drag in Hamilton, right next to material has become hard to get and is less in demand the town offices. Its new location doesn’t allow for an since the arrival of poly lumber, made from recycled outdoor display of the inventory, making it easier to plastic. Poly is both durable and weatherproof and overlook than when it was in Aldie. never requires painting or scraping. “You take a little hit on any move,” said owner Don Some might be surprised the Amish would Mattingly Jr., “but we have a huge customer base.” embrace an artificial material, but “the English,” as Everything being inside also “keeps everything a lot the Amish call the non-Amish, have some mistaken cleaner,” he said. His son, Jason, recently refurbished ideas about the sect, Mattingly said. They may shun a sign that now hangs outside and should raise the being connected to the grid--i.e., the outside worldbusiness’s visibility. -but many embrace modern tools and machinery, as Mattingly’s was started by Don’s father, Don Sr., long they’re powered on site.
Compounding supply issues has been the preference of Amish builders in the eastern sector of Pennsylvania, like Lancaster County, for sending their furniture to large dealers out west.
By M.J. McAteer
F
requent travelers through Aldie may have noticed that a landmark went missing from the village last fall: The colorful collection of furniture that once perched on the lawn beside the firehouse.
in 1973. It began as a workshop focused on antique
No matter the material,
getting enough
Mattingly now has to rely on builders living north of Pittsburgh, near Lake Erie. They’re members of the ultra conservative Old Order Amish, who generally shun phones and electricity. Though he’s been buying from them for years, they require him to use a local “English” go-between for all transactions. Twice weekly, Mattingly makes the 600-mile round trip north to pick up his merchandise. That’s a lot of road time. Add to that, his willingness to deliver furniture to as far away as Great Falls. But all that travel is worth it. “When you deliver something, people are the happiest,” he said, “and I enjoy having satisfied customers.” Mattingly’s is located at 55 E. Colonial Highway in Hamilton. It’s open Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Country ZEST & Style | Summer 2022
31
