"Then and Now" /A celebration in the Finnish /American Perspective/ "Ennen ja Nyt"/

Finnish Coffee Shop and Gift Store
IS CLOSED UNTIL GRAND OPENING

 Fairport Harbor added another watermark to its already rich lore of ethnic histories with the opening of the Finnish Heritage Museum’s coffee and gift shop.

“The opening breathes more life in the original plan to build a museum which would feature artifacts illustrating the Finns contributions to America, and to their own proud history,” said Heikki Penttila, president of the Finnish Heritage Museum.

The building at 301 High Street formerly housed the core of the Village government, namely the Village Council Chambers, the fire department, the police department, and clerk’s office, and later the FH Senior Citizen’s Center, and is now squarely in Finnish hands.

Much work has been accomplished in the last few months after a long period of negotiations with Fairport Harbor Village Council, which still owns the property.  An agreement was reached which benefited both groups and both are very excited about the museum’s addition to the community.

The renewable fifteen-year lease also accommodates the Fairport Arts Association, which will share a portion of the building. 

The actual coffee and gift shop is carved out of the area that once served as the garage for the village’s fire trucks and later served as a kitchen dining area for senior citizens.   A wall was knocked down, plaster was patched, wood trim was added, carpets cleaned, new lighting fixtures installed, and the entire room was repainted in Finnish flavored colors of brick red, gold, and a rich blue.

The old garage door was removed and replaced by a completely modern entry system featuring double pane glass and a commercial door.  With that addition, the warm vibrant colors and decorations can be seen from the outside, remarked Penttila.

Featured in the newly opened shop is the museum’s own coffees, which are locally blended to emulate the popular Finnish coffees in Finland.  The three blends (premium, regular, and decaf) are for sale by the pound and are available by the cup every Saturday. 

Finnish nisu, a world-renowned braided and cardamom flavored sweet bread) is available by the slice to compliment the coffee. 

The gift shop features the coffees, FHM mugs, gift sets, gift baskets, laser wood art, mouse pads, bookmarks, post cards, and local writer’s books.  Additional items will be added soon.

The museum will offer Nisu baking classes later this year, where students can learn the artistry involved in the production of the unique bread, reported Penttila. (check EVENTS page frequently!)

Penttila serves as president of the 70 member organization, but can quickly change hats to become a registered general construction contractor or to his chosen profession, that of registered architect. 

“Finns in their rugged history have always learned to make the best out of whatever is presented them.  This building will be no exception.  It’s old, but well built, and has always been a part of village activity.  It’s at a key location, a block south of the lighthouse, a block from Village Hall and two blocks from the veteran’s memorial and the immigrant memorial, so it’s a nice location for a new focal point for the village,” Penttila said.

Suffering old age, since its first opening as a WPA, depression era project in the 1920’s, the building is well built with solid core street bricks, known for their indestructible characteristics.  Water has worked its way down the inside of the north wall, pushing those bricks away from their intended position.   That will be corrected this spring, when additional remodeling and masonry repairs start.   Funding has been secured through various organizations and by a federal grant.

New windows will enhance the museum’s façade and will provide natural light in the main gallery.

“We plan to become an established institution in the village fabric and to continue growth as the word gets out,” Penttila said.

The national FinnFestUSA 2007 celebration which attracts about 4000 visitors from the US and Canada is in Ashtabula Harbor this year on the Kent State University campus.  “We are in the local visitation loop and will be an important stop for visitor tours from FinnFest,” said Penttila. “It will be a positive impact for Fairport, Lake County, and northeast Ohio in general. 

The specialized shop opened for business officially on Harbor Holidays, December 2.

The coffee and gift shop is open every week on Saturdays from 9 am to 3 pm. 

The museum’s grand opening will be on the weekend before July 4th.  Plans for that are well underway. 

VISIT OUR COFFEE SHOP ON SATURDAYS FOR
COFFEE AND NISU