Gardner’s Candies & Ice Cream Parlor

This is not your ordinary candy store for many reasons, one being it is located in the historic Espy House, which dates back to 1770 and served as President Washington’s headquarters during the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794 and the house is significant for its association with American Revolutionary War General Arthur St. Clair.
So when you are approaching the Bedford exit from the Pennsylvania turnpike and you see the billboard which reads Washington slept here, now you know exactly where. Several generations of the Espy family lived here until it was later turned into apartments and the Washington Bakery on the main floor.
Since then Gardner’s has moved in and it still remains a sweet deal with this being one of their fifteen shops all started by a sixteen year old lad in 1897, this particular shop opened in 1982 and continues to sell some of the sweetest treats and roasted nuts. They are the original founders of the peanut butter meltaways, which they claim no one has been able to duplicate, all I know is they are so creamy, little squares of a rich peanut butter filling dipped in a wonderful chocolate, so I am not about to argue.
The Espy House is not only loaded with history and many stories being passed down, but with milk, dark and white covered nuts, pretzels, fruits, including cherry cordials, truffles and creams. They have a great selection of jellies, bears, worms and beans in many fruity flavors. Green Mountain coffee and Boyds bears!
Not only do they have all of this but they sell hand dipped Hershey ice cream! The Hershey creamery does make great ice cream, their chocolate is so rich and one of the best I have had.
Don’t be thinking Hershey chocolate here, I’m talking about high quality ice cream. Gardner’s is also a great place to pick up a gift and they do have a website for ordering gift baskets or boxes of chocolates for someone special…
After all, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. I like that, maybe I should coin that phrase.