Taylor-Made
How a recent grad combined her artistic and entrepreneurial flairs to breathe life back into an old Bedford building.
Story: David Collins, Photography: Liz Palmer
The Hofius House in Bedford, Pennsylvania, has accepted several purposes in its rich history of over two centuries. From serving as a residence a surgeon once operated out of to briefly functioning as a brothel to becoming a popular bar called “Hurry Sundown,” these 10,000 square feet have seen it all. And the building’s newest owner—Saint Vincent alumna Taylor Wahl—is equipped to show it even more, adding to the history of the building and upholding the tradition of the sewing and quilting community in Bedford.
Taylor, originally from Windber, Pennsylvania, recently graduated with a degree in business management and a minor in operational excellence. She discovered her love of sewing at the age of eight, curating clothes for her American Girl Dolls, which soon turned into sewing matching clothes for herself. As she grew up, Taylor became fascinated by vintage clothes and the restoration of vintage textiles. She also met Mary Koval, a Bedford-based antique quilt appraiser nearing retirement.
Mary began introducing Taylor to antique fabrics— Mary’s expertise. Having spent over forty years studying American antique quilts, Mary had become a leading source for the best in American quilt and antique fabric, renowned worldwide. Mary exhibits in major antiques and quilt shows, she assembles quilt exhibits for museums and other venues all over the world, she lectures on a variety quilt topics from how-to to collection and care. And Mary was the ideal mentor under whose tutelage Taylor could develop her own love for quilting and business acumen.
“Mary approached me and said that she wants someone who’s young, someone who’s going to keep teaching people how to sew to take over her shop,” said Taylor. “But she wanted to sell the building to someone else. And I knew that from a profitable standpoint, I would need more than just the inventory aspect of a quilt store to make money.” And so, Taylor bought the whole building. “It has three commercial spaces. Right now, I have two tenants in there. I have an apartment of my own. And then I have seven bed and breakfast bedrooms.”
During her senior year, Taylor split her time between Bedford and campus. She credits SVC with having played a part in preparing her for this massive undertaking. “I took a class, Management Information Systems. And in that class, we had to create a pseudo-business. We created a business plan and financials, and we presented it to the class as if we were essentially asking the bank for money.” When it came time to meet with the bank ahead of her building purchase, Taylor was ready.
“I was consistently following through. And especially when you’re young, you need to kind of prove yourself.”
“I knew what needed to go into a business plan. I knew what the financials needed to look like. So I took my template from that class and recreated my business plan that I presented to the banks.” Now managing tenants, organizing retreats, and hosting bachelorette parties, Taylor remarks that her persistence and stubbornness were crucial in getting to where she is.
“I just kept working to get what I wanted. At that time, I was 20. And I was contacting attorneys, I would call my banker, I had a business advisor, and I would email them, or I would give them a call and if I didn’t get a call back, I would follow up with an email. I was consistently following through. And especially when you’re young, you need to kind of prove yourself.”
Having just graduated in May, Taylor is now able to give Hofius House her full attention. Her own shop, called “Twila’s,” named for her grandmother, is set to open in July.
Check in with Taylor and Twila’s on Instagram @sewtwilas.