Gift shop is the latest to join ‘little community’ inside the new Gamble Mill in Bellefonte
A husband and wife team have relocated their shop from Philipsburg to the newly renovated Gamble Mill and are looking forward to showing off the aesthetic of the new storefront.
Smith & Front, owned by Staci and David Egan, is a gift shop that features locally-sourced plants and plant accessories, a wide variety of stationery, candles, jewelry, bath and body items and more.
“There’s definitely not one main focus ... if you come for a gift, then you can also get a card or maybe you’ll find something for yourself also. But if there’s something you like here, there should be other things that complement it really well,” Staci Egan said.
The shop is the first retail tenant to open in the new Gamble Mill, which was acquired by brothers Chris and Jonathan Virgilio in June 2019. The new restaurant, Creekside at the Gamble Mill, opened earlier this month and a cocktail bar, The Republic, opened this week.
“We’re pretty excited about being part of the Gamble Mill and seeing what develops there,” Egan said. “And being part of our own little community within the Gamble Mill and really hoping that people will want to come and browse everything the Gamble Mill has to offer and even Bellefonte.”
Smith & Front offers a little bit of everything, but the focus is really on the aesthetic, Egan said, rather than the individual items. There are other places in Bellefonte that are more established that sell handmade items, she said. So they’re trying to find a different style so if customers shop around Bellefonte, they see different items in each store.
Looking ahead, Egan hopes to see Smith & Front offer more items that she and her husband have made. Staci makes jewelry by wire-wrapping freshwater pearls and semi-precious stones for Contempo Jewelry. David makes art pieces out of reclaimed wood, most of which is locally sourced, for Reconstruct Wood.
Smith & Front will have a grand opening celebration 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday with vendors set up outside. Vendors include Michele Randall Art, Tiny Seed Beads, Kara Kyle Ceramics, Valley Purl, Maggie Scotilla, Happy Valley Nomadic Spirits and fresh cut flower bouquets by Rooted Farmstead.
The Republic will open at 10 a.m. with specials to help celebrate the store’s grand opening.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 3:43 PM.
