Appalachian Craftsman
Garrett County is rich with folk culture, primarily a mix of Appalachian and Amish. Both are apparent in the craftmanship and foods of the locals.
If you have an interest in Appalachian craftmanship, check out the places below.
The Shops at Thomas and Davis
Located in Thomas, WV, the shops at Thomas are steep in genuine Appalachian crafts, food, and sometimes music.
Thomas is a quaint little West Virginia town which draws tourists specifically for their rich culture. This isn’t the touristy version of the mimic of a culture, but rather, the majority of the items available are real hand-crafted Appalachian pieces created by local artisans.
A little way from Thomas you will encounter Davis, where you will find a number of family-owned restaurants serving local foods.
Google Thomas to find directions. The shops are located on the main street.
The Oakland Tailgate Market
The Oakland Tailgate Market is located in the big pavilion in downtown Oakland Parking Lot. It is open most of the year, but there are more vendors in the summer months.
The Market offers fresh produce, hand-made crafts, baked goods, honey, syrup, and other items. Everything must be either grown or made by the vendors, so the market is rich with local crafts.
The Oakland Tailgate Market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Oakland Parking Lot off of Second Street in Oakland, MD.
Penn Alps and the Spruce Forest Artisian Village
Penn Alps and the Spruce Forest Artisian Village are located next to each other. The village is a group of old restored cabins that house various local craftsman. Different cabins are open at various times. Penn Alps is a restaurant and gift shop.
The gift shop offers items from local crafters and writers on consignment, so there are many Appalachian crafts available.
Penn Alps restaurant is well known as a local favorite, featuring buffets on the weekends and order from the menu the rest of the week.
You will also find Cornucopia Cafe in the Village. Cornucopia utilizes local produce and local goat and cow cheese in many of their entries.
125 Casselman Road, Grantsville, MD
Pleasant Valley Woodcrafts
The husband and wife team at Peasant Valley Woodcrafts create beautiful wooden masterpieces full time.
All of their items are handmade on location, as they do all of the manipulating of the wood themselves using Appalachian traditions passed down through generations.
You will find cutting boards made from a mix of wood types, baskets, puzzles, ornaments, and many other wooden items.
This is a must-visit. But call before you go.
Pleasant Valley Woodcrafts, 320 Paypole Lane, Oakland, MD. 301-334-3853.
Deep Creek Pottery
Deep Creek Pottery is located in McHenry at Deep Creek Lake. It is owned by a husband and wife team who have been handcrafting pottery for decades.
They offer exquisite handmade Appalachian bowls, cups, and pots of many sizes, shapes, and colors.
In addition to offering their own crafts through their gift shop, they have a pottery studio where individuals can make their own ceramics, tile art, and other crafts. It’s a great place to go and spend the afternoon making a craft and purchasing items from the gift shop.
Deep Creek Pottery, 1550 Deep Creek Drive, McHenry, MD. 301-501-1619.
West Virginia Highlands Artisian Gallery
You need to make sure you visit this one when you go to Thomas and Davis. It is located in Davis across the street from Sirianni’s Pizza (which is on our recommended restaurants list.)
It is owned by local artisans and contains Appalachian arts and crafts from some of the best artisans in the area.
WV Highlands Artisian Gallery, 487 Williams Ave., Davis, WV. 304-259-5411
Simon Pearce Glass Factory
Simon Pearce sells their products all over the world, so they aren’t small-scale family crafters. But they do make all of their products out of hand-blown glass which is actually fashioned by hand by their craftsman.
Glass blowing is an Appalachian art that has been practiced in the area for hundreds of years.
They have a small story at their factory, and they sometimes give tours of the factory where you can watch the glass blowing being done. You should check with their website for more information. Be advised that they also have a shop in Vermont and the website often refers to that shop.
Simon Pearce, 265 Glass Drive, Oakland, MD. 301-334-5277
