This week on the Sunday Drive, if you are heading up to the Factory Outlets at Grove City head a few thousand feet west on PA Route 208 and you will hit one of Western Pa’s longtime treasures…The Wendell August Forge and Flagship Store.
We drove this week’s Drivetime Road Test car…the 2014 Honda Civic EX…to this wonderland of craftsmanship in metallurgy. From Christmas ornaments to bookmarks and all sorts of cool Penguins, Steelers and Pirates souvenirs are made right in the plant which you can tour.
In case the name sounds familiar Wendell August has been making things out of metal since the early 20th century. Many different types of their Art Deco pieces, modern plates and other items and even the main gate that used to be in front of the Alcoa Plant are all part of the tour. You can see where designs are etched, dyes are made and the metal is stamped.
After the August plant burned down a few years ago the owners decided to rebuild bigger and better than the old plant in downtown Grove City.
There even is a place that you can tap out a metal etching and take it home in a frame.