Hilliard Station Baking Company
Hilliard Station Baking Company is almost as rich in history as it is in cupcakes.
Located at 4035 Main St. and owned by husband and wife team David and Tracy Baldridge, the shop is nearly across from where the Historical Village’s 1899 train station used to be and a stone’s throw from today’s Hilliard Station Park.
“We have the best view in Hilliard out of this 100-year-old building. People sit and can look up Main Street and they can look across at the park,” said David.
Cupcakes of multiple and scrumptious varieties are on sale, along with cinnamon rolls, coffee and such.
“I always wanted to have my own business and felt that Hilliard needed a small bakery downtown, and I thought that cupcakes would be popular,” said Tracy. “I always liked going into a donut shop were I could get one of each donut and I thought it would be fun to have a bakery where someone could come in and get 12 kinds of cake.”
Tracy does all the baking.
“I just support her in that. I always liked the idea of owning my own business,” said David.
The couple renovated the early 20th century building where they are located in April 2020 and opened for business in March 2021
“We bought and renovated it right in the middle of the pandemic. Right when we opened the vaccine came out and people clearly were more comfortable coming out,” said Tracy
“From the minute we opened the door we have been busy. We did a soft launch with no advertising and opened the door and have been busy and sold out almost every day. The downtown location has really helped us,” said David.
They chose to open their business in Hilliard because it is their home. “We love the area and the rich history that it has,” said Tracy.
“We love the community, the atmosphere, the people, the opportunities,” said David.
Because their building is so near to the site of the old train station, the couple incorporated the railroad theme into their shop. A rendering of the 1899 train station is on the shop’s front window and pictures of it are on the walls. Tracy wears a shirt with the word Conductor on the back. A 1934 Western Electric railroad station telephone is on the wall.
“We tried to design the building with the railroad theme in mind. We both love history and study history and Old Hilliard, and the history of this building, and we are happy to support history any way we can,” said David.
“We tried to maintain as much of old building as we could,” said David. Over the years the place has been home to a florist, furniture seller, restaurant and pool hall, and a coffee shop. It was empty right before the Baldridges took over.
They’ve learned the building once was owed by a person named Winterringer – the same name of a nearby street.
They were excited to find items left behind by previous tenants: a sign from the circa 1918-1921 furniture store and an antique Cola Cola bottle in the basement, and an old bottle of stove polish and a man’s cap in a bucket in the attic.
“We were able to save the original floor and (wood) that came out of the wall,” said David. The wood was used to build the the shop’s counter cupboard.
“We are thankful we have a piece of the history. The basement is original. We think of all the business owners that have walked down those steps in the past hundred years,” said Tracy.
For more information, visit hilliardstationbaking.com.
