By John Davis
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Matthew Wittek was preparing to serve up an icy cone of American history at one of the country’s oldest snowball stands this spring when the coronavirus pandemic struck the state and forced a delay in the opening date of Walther Gardens.
Still Wittek and his sister, Paula, keep hope alive through cheery tweets, hashtags and Facebook posts about the business on the corner of Southern and Walther Avenues in Moravia-Walther, a small neighborhood in Baltimore City.
“Hello Friends!! Hello Family!! Just a simple shout out….thinking of u all! Matthew and I r working hard on projects at the garden. Many birds chirping, bunnies bouncing, and buds blooming. We r looking forward to many fun events and great days ahead! Stay well, stay positive, stay strong and HAPPY!#walthergardensatwhiteoak”
Days later they published:
“Amid everything that is happening around us, there is always BEAUTY and HOPE! Walther Gardens continues to ready for our 2020 Spring season, which has been moved to after Easter! We have to be diligent staying well, and there will b many many wonderful days ahead to make more memories!#walthergardensatwhiteoak #staywell#live&lovefromadistance #bmorestrong”
Among all the items sold at the quaint shop, the Wittek brother-sister duo who share the same birthday two years apart hope the customers are missing the authentic snowballs that have been served up every season since 1922.
Customers brag about the cones on Facebook from as early as four years ago:
“Love, love LOVE this place. Best snowballs in Baltimore, hands down. This is a great place for the community. They offer workshops, fresh cut flowers, trees at Christmas. The little shop is too cute! Put this place on your ‘must-visit’ list.2016”
In sharing the work of the business, the Wittek duo also claim they inherited their parents’ traits as well.
“Our mom’s the artistic one and our dad’s the hard-work ethic,” Matthew Wittek said. “We call Paula the ‘Artistic Coordinator’.”
For this reason the eclectic nature of the shop works. Add to the flowers, trees and workshops, home-grown garden herbs, skin-care products and fully restored furniture from the early 1900s. Everything contributes to the wholesome atmosphere they’ve built at Walther Gardens, said Matthew Wittek.
The earthy tones all over the property aren’t there by mistake either. While most people may say their favorite color is red or blue, Matthew said the favorite color at Walther Gardens is “rust.”
Regina Lansinger, the director of Hamilton-Lauraville Main Street, a non-profit for the neighborhood’s revitalization, praised the job Matthew has done with the restoration of the property.
“When Matt came along and did what he did… other people noticed,” Lansinger said. “They thought, ‘maybe I can fix up my yard a little.’ They have made such an impact on the neighborhood by bringing that building and that property back.”
Locals and new customers will have to wait to enjoy the attractions at Walther Gardens for a little longer, however, now that the stay-at-home directive put in place by Gov. Larry Hogan on March 30 is underway. Wittek said the opening day for the garden area will be evaluated appropriately based on the regulations, and that snowballs will hopefully be up and running sometime in May.
When Walther Gardens is able to open, visitors will notice that at first glance the meticulously up-to-date property looks modern. However, the large white house that anchors the half-acre lot actually dates back to 1885. The history of the property goes back even further when it was an apple orchard in the mid-1800s.
Before Wittek purchased the property in September 2014, it belonged to Phillip Sinsz, who died in January 2019. He was the third generation to work in the Sinsz family business that started as a small Lauraville farm.
According to Wittek, Sinsz said his grandmother curated the snowball flavorings in the kitchen of the Simple Queen Anne Farmhouse. Her specialty flavors like egg custard, chocolate and marshmallow were all homemade, and set the standard for the quality snowballs that Sinsz continued before selling to Wittek.
When Wittek purchased Walther Gardens, he said he wasn’t looking for property to own or manage; he was just looking for a storage warehouse. After making a wrong turn and driving down Walther Avenue, the snowball stand, worn-down greenhouses and an old nursery caught his eye, he said.
“The property was—how do you say it—let go for the ages,” Wittek said. “But I’ve been around agriculture my whole life.”
After six months of driving to the property every few weeks and talking to Sinsz, Wittek said he knew he wanted the property, no matter how big a challenge he faced in restoration. Sinsz offered Wittek a reasonable deal on one condition: Wittek had to keep the property in agriculture.
“He probably could have gotten a lot more money from a developer who would have flattened everything and put in townhomes,” Wittek said. “As soon as I got it, we started putting in five years of sweat equity that you can see now.”
To describe the roots the Sinsz family left in Walther Gardens as traditional would be an understatement, and the Wittek siblings are aware they have a responsibility to honor the history of the grounds they now operate on.
Paula Wittek oversees the retail and charming design of the property, and Matthew brings the ideas to life with his carpentry skills. Currently, he is designing a “She-Shed” which will eventually be decked out with a full bedroom set and furniture, all of which will be for sale.
“People see a door and they want to go in; they think, ‘oh what’s this,’” Wittek said. “They’re captivated by it.”
It’s the idea of creating something “unusually different” and something people can’t see anywhere else that inspires the Wittek siblings to keep updating their business. They take adaptive re-use seriously, and it’s evident in the construction on their property. Whether it is the shipping containers converted into retail space or the handmade symbol and bowl wind chimes, there is no lack of creativity at Walther Gardens.
There is no lack of creativity in the snowballs, either.
Matthew Wittek is adamant about making sure his snowballs are of the highest quality. He said all of the classics are in stock, like egg custard and skylite. But, what really sets the Walther snowballs apart from the competition are the 40 flavors they have from Monin Flavoring Syrups, which are made from natural cane sugar. The more exotic flavors include pistachio and tiramisu.
“I don’t think Monin realized how good they were at snowballs,” Wittek said.
This year, an even newer syrup is coming into stock from 1883 Routin, which is made and bottled in France, he said. One of the featured flavors is different from what most would assume—it’s fresh fennel.
In the future, Walther Gardens plan to bring on a “Kitchenista” who has a passion for developing and perfecting new savory and bold flavors, Wittek said. Some of the flavor ideas include lilac, strawberry rhubarb, honeysuckle and basil cayenne made from herbs grown on the property.
Within the six years that Paula and Matthew have owned Walther Gardens, they have made their presence in the community felt by inviting all of their neighbors in.
“They have made such an impact,” Lansinger said. “They really know how to be community-centric.”
1 Comment
So very happy that this family found it and are we storing it. Was my great grandmothers snowball stand. I even got to work there one week one summer with my aunt Sharon. My favorite flavor was the marshmallow that My great grandmother made in her kitchen in the house.