Just as one needs to have a rock on the famous Hotel Lenhart chairs in Benus Point or pick up a smoked whitefish at Barcelona, there is something so fond and familiar to places such as these. In 1927, Ford Cadwell began making his full cream dairy cheese in a small block building on the family farm. The vat that once held 400 gallons of milk still sits in the shop. About ten 30 pound wheels of che
ese were produced daily until 1947. Milk from the night milking and the next morning came from about 135 head of Holstien cows. Because Chautauqua County winters can be harsh, the factory could operate only seasonally. The cattle would be “dried off” then by Spring they would bear calves and milking and cheese making would start up again. The barn behind the factory is a remarkable 184 feet long and today sports a snappy red metal roof. The first section of the barn is believed to have been built in the 1850’s. Ford Cadwell’s Cheese making craft went back to his grandparents. His mother’s father had his factory in Maple Springs. The paternal grandfather made his cheese in Dewittville. Unfortunately, by the time 22 year old Ford Cadwell began his craft, he said that they had “taken the recipes with them”! Because most small villages in the county had a cheese factory, he learned much from visiting them.
2012 becomes the 85th season for The Cheese House. Recently a customer introduced her granddaughter as the fifth generation. She had come to the factory as a child with her grandmother. Fond memories are expressed by customers who as young boys would come over from the YMCA Camp Onyhasa across the road. They’d recall grabbing a hand full of fresh cheese curd from the vat, which now appears much smaller than as they remember. Among the many thousand customers who have come to buy cheese have been Mrs. Thomas Edison. She was also the daughter of Lewis Mill, co-founder of Chautauqua Institution. In more recent years, Brad Anderson, creator of Marmaduke and Mark Russell, political satirist. Russell once noted “the cheese is absolutely marvelous, I assume Velveeta is banned in Dewittville”. Today Cadwell’s Cheese House is owned and operated by Jane Currie, Ford’s stepdaughter. These are now over 30 kinds of cheese to sample as well as cheese curd. Local products available are maple syrup and honey, a line of confections and nuts from The Basket Company, seasoning salts, chutney and a Bloody Mary mix from Borsari. Amish jams and relishes are a special treat. The gift shop is also filled with a few antiques, English bone china, photo cards, and cook books. You can also find Arcadia’s Imaged of America local history books by Kathleen Crocker and Jane Currie. SEASONAL HOURS: OPEN DAILY 10:00am-6:00pm
MAY THRU OCTOBER
(Shipping Available)
