A CARVED
WOODEN SIGN PROTRUDES FROM ONE OF THE many brick buildings on Phoenixville’s
Bridge Street. The walk-up to Wolfgang, an independent bookstore, may seem a
bit daunting. The narrow flight of 26 stairs is lit by the guiding light of a
banister covered in white Christmas lights. To the right of the second landing,
a small foyer is filled with discount books ($2 each.) The main room is
sizeable, but not overwhelming. Tables covered with books are islands of
different literary adventures. Against the white east and west walls are
floor-to-ceiling dark, wooden bookshelves categorized by genre. A reading loft
filled with vintage and secondhand furniture faces Bridge Street. Here,
customers can comfortably sample their books of choice. Photos of writers hang
on the walls as if they were family: Franz Kafka at his desk while his dog
crawls out from under it, Maya Angelou dancing and a portrait of Stephen King.
Today, the loft is empty and the tall open windows allow city sounds to break
the silence.
“I’m trying to create a bookstore model
that I can take other places,” says owner Jason Hafer. He sees Wolfgang as an
incubator for his eventual vision of owning several independent bookstores in a
city. It is a warm April day and a myriad of music from passing cars compete
with Ryan Adams on the
bookstore’s radio. Hafer pauses now and then as a large, loud truck or bus
disturbs the conversation. Today, Wolfgang feels especially homey. Hafer’s mom,
Karen, is sitting at the register bottle
feeding a three week old litter of kittens.
Wolfgang’s
home, at 237 Bridge St., was built in the 1850s. The later, a fraternity called
first floor was an artillery factory, the second a literary club and the third a dance studio. About 100 years later,
The Odd Fellow’s moved in. “They had literary club meetings,” Hafer says
recounting what he’s been told from elders around town, “At times, they
occupied the whole building.” Hafer, a man of average height and build with
shaggy blonde hair, has preserved bits of their legacy. Over the counter hangs
the Odd Fellow’s symbol: three metal rings linked together around the letters
F-L-P. “It stands for friendship, love and peace. That was their motto.” Hafer
doesn’t know much about the group whose temple was on the fourth floor. The Odd
Fellow’s dwindled out after World War II.
The legacy of Wolfgang began four years
ago. Hafer’s original business partner, who left in January of 2009, was the
initial driving force. He told Hafer of an exciting discovery. At a yard sale
he’d found a first edition Henry David Thoreau book for just a few dollars. He
wanted Hafer to join him and start a business in rare book dealing.
Unlike most bookstores, Wolfgang serves no
coffee. Hafer simply says, “It’s another business - not one I have experience
in.” The windows of the loft overlook the Artisan Gallery and Cafe that opened
around the same time as Wolfgang. Hafer has good relations with both the
Artisan and Steel City Coffee House down the street. Steel City hosts
Wolfgang’s author events. Hafer has
tried to have similar events in Wolfgang’s
loft, but the space proved limiting. At the event, Hafer
conducts an “Inside the Actor’s
Studio”-style interview with an author. A reading of the featured
writer’s work, an open discussion and book signing engage the audience.
Although a gift-giver’s hand-written forward lessens a
book’s value, Hafer loves them. “It’s one of my favorite things about
second-hand books. You get a two sentence glimpse into people’s lives...there
are some inscriptions that have stuck with me.” This doesn’t lessen a book’s
price by much, though Hafer does make exceptions for bad penmanship. “If it is
written in a crayon with a second grader’s handwriting, then I’ll take the
price down.”
Many
people probably wonder why Hafer would stick with the book business during the
digital age. His answer is interesting.
“Kindle
cheapens a lot of things,” he says. “They’re marketing ‘environmentally
friendly’ but that’s not the case.” On Wolfgang’s Facebook page, Hafer posted
an article about the damage done to the environment because of the digital age.
Digital technology uses copious amounts of energy from coal-fired power plants
that are wreaking havoc on the ozone. Without the demand of so much energy,
there would be fewer people doing the dangerous job of coal mining he argues.
Despite
these advancing digital times, Wolfgang was voted the best bookstore in the
Philadelphia area on MyFoxPhilly.com three years in a row. Hafer believes that
“books will always be around” and are better for the environment. He’s always
glad when there are books made from recycled paper in the shop.
Aside
from being a book advocate, Hafer is a lover of writing himself and a graduate
from The University of Pittsburg. He wanted to be a writer, but has had his
hands full with the shop. “Now that I’m 31, I don’t feel the pressure to be a
young published author.” As far as having a favorite book, Hafer found
inspiration in Jack Kerouac’s famous novel “On the Road.” Hafer says, “Kerouac
was the one writer who set this course. ‘On The Road’... showed me a lot of
what you can do with writing.” ◊
