Indoors and out, Swiss Country Lawn and Crafts is a shop for all seasons
By Jennifer Kneuss
Driving along state Route 39 through Ohio’s Amish Country, it is hard to miss the spectacular display of beautiful handcrafted outdoor lawn furniture of Swiss Country Lawn and Crafts. Motorists tend to slow down to get a closer look at the charming gazebos, and any child in the car is sure to beg for a stop so that they can enjoy the tempting swing sets and play areas. Those who do stop are not disappointed.
Owners Dwight and Mabel Mast first sold a few pieces of lawn furniture in their front yard in 1989, and soon found that customers flocked to purchase the Amish made pieces. Now, in addition to the gazebos and play sets, there are also picnic tables, patio sets in every style imaginable, relaxing Adirondack chairs, swings, gliders, and all types of accessories for outdoor living.
“Customers really like the items made of poly lumber,” stated Dwight Mast. “They like having outdoor furniture that’s maintenance free.” The poly lumber also allows for products to be available in a rainbow of permanent colors as well as standard wood tones. All items can be boxed and shipped anywhere in the U.S., and poly products come with a lifetime warranty.
The outdoor environments at Swiss Country Lawn and Crafts incorporate small ponds, trickling mini waterfalls, and other special touches that make it easy for customers to imagine recreating the scene in their own yards. The Masts, who run the store with the assistance of their five grown children, have also added an idyllic, landscaped grilling, cooking, and entertaining area paved with stone to the outdoor display, and customers can enjoy a few moments of quiet relaxation there for a break from shopping.
To the delight of visitors, the shop’s unique offerings do not end in the outdoor area. Indoors, the Masts have assembled products that appeal to all, whether for special gift giving or to adorn their own homes.
Guests entering the store are invariably drawn to the intricate beauty of the store’s rhythm clocks. These ornately designed, large wall clocks come to life with visual working mechanisms as well as pleasing to the ear, exquisite music.
“The most popular rhythm clocks are those that play Christmas music, classical music, or contemporary tunes,” said Dwight Mast. Indeed, the mesmerizing clocks each play anywhere from six to 12 selections, in everything from Beethoven to the Beatles, depending on the model selected.
The shop’s simply styled black lanterns, made of metal with glass panes, come in 10 to 12 different styles, and have proven to be a customer favorite.
“We actually added to our selection,” Dwight Mast explained. “People really like them, and they are available in sizes from four inches to up to 32 inches tall.” The store also carries wrought iron works of art, particularly distinctive candleholders, crafted in Lancaster, Pa.
Another customer favorite are the line of battery-operated candles in the store. These can be programmed to turn on and off at certain times each day, and even when used daily, batteries often last up to a year. Similar candles, operating on electricity, are also available. Flameless candles have gained in popularity as people search for safer options to traditional open flame candles, although the shop carries several lines of those as well.
One unique feature of the store are the hundreds of framed pictures available, including a variety of P. Graham Dunn and other high quality pieces.
“We have a lot of Billy Jacobs prints. Jacobs is an artist that does a lot of artwork depicting the Ohio Amish Country area. Some are paintings of the Amish way of life, including horses and buggies, or perhaps wash on the clothesline. Many are just scenic, with Jacobs using a lot of Holmes County architecture in his pictures,” said Dwight Mast, noting that the style of barns and houses in the area are different than in other parts of Ohio or even Amish communities in neighboring Pennsylvania.
There is also an international flavor at Swiss Country Lawn and Crafts. One of the Mast’s daughters served for a time in Haiti, working at a home for girls. The students there were trained in the skill of creating intricately hand crocheted doilies so that when they returned to their villages, they would have a skill for gainful employment. The Mast family has chosen to make these doilies available in their shop, with profits going back to the girls’ mission on the island. They also carry a line of hand carved wooden bowls, also created in Haiti by an entrepreneurial local craftsman. Both items make unique, as well as thoughtful, gifts that in turn help those in an impoverished country regain their dignity.
The family has truly come a long way from selling a few pieces of outdoor furniture from their front lawn more than 20 years ago, and credit their excellent customer base for their success.
“We are here to serve our customers, six days a week, 12 months a year,” Dwight Mast emphasized. “Our hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. We have outstanding employees who take great care of each of our customers.”
The combination of craftsmanship and customer care is a tried and true recipe for success for Swiss Valley Lawn and Crafts. Stop in for a visit at 2131 state Route 39, Sugarcreek, or call the friendly Mast family at 888-698-1423 for store directions.
