Authentic: Sandra Mulry

Countless artifacts from this historic building, which was built in 1902 to process condensed milk, have been reclaimed, reused, and reimagined in this newly reopened year-round gathering space.

“It was scary when the demolition began and we didn’t know what we’d find,” she says. “As we decided how much of this industrial shell with an agricultural past should remain, we wanted to let the place be what it’s meant to be.” They were writing the next chapter of the building’s story, but they had no idea how it would turn out. “It really worked,” she says with a smile.

Sandra says she’s learned a lot from working with Mike Bontrager to bring his vision, a family-friendly gathering space in a once-derelict building in the center of the Borough, to life. “Sandra has an incredible eye for design and a relentless passion to be authentically unique,” Mike says.

Sandra grew up on Staten Island and moved to Kennett Square more than 20 years ago with her husband, Joe. “I’d always lived in urban places,” she says, “and I didn’t think I’d like it here.” She laughs. “After about five minutes, I saw what was so special about Kennett and knew I belonged here. We built friendships and raised our two daughters here—that’s why community is so important to me.”

The Creamery’s story continues to unfold as Sandra and her team make adjustments to the new indoor space and seek innovative new ways to bring people together. When people gather here, their stories become part of The Creamery’s bigger story. As an elderly Birch Street resident recently said, “I’m so glad to see this place live again.”