Serving brews and books: Heritage Meeting House opens in Mishawaka with coffee and library

A new coffeehouse and local library has opened in Mishawaka. 

Heritage Meeting House opened in early August at 711 W. McKinley Hwy., by husband and wife Rusty and Kelsi Rea. 

The idea initially started as a resource for the couple's homeschooling group, as a way to help other families who practice or are interested in practicing homeschooling and where they can find support. According to the Reas, many families have recently opted to homeschool their children but little guidance or sense of community is given.

"We just want to make homeschool attainable, take the fear away, explain the ins and outs and point people in the right direction," Kelsi said. 

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The purpose of providing a resource led the Reas to establish a library, filled with homeschooling resources and references. But it doesn't stop there. 

In an appeal to reach more people, not just those interested in homeschooling, the library inside the 3,800-square foot space also features literary classics, as well as books on art, science, history and more. 

"What we look at when we curate the books is, we look for things that overall was a hallmark piece of literature and piece of work that influenced culture and education," Kelsi said. 

Most of the 8,000 books inside the space were printed before the 1970s, in an appeal to highlight books that pre-date the Department of Education's recent standardization of education. 

"We've collected books that have stood the test of time," Kelsi said. 

And they're still collecting. The Reas have recently acquired a large library donated from the Indiana Landmarks and are willing to take on more books as well. 

And although the Reas' beliefs and homeschooling teachings are Christian-based, the library still offers a wide range of books filled with differing thoughts and beliefs. 

"We are Christian, but I don't think I would call this a Christian coffee shop," Rusty said. 

"What we curate here has high moral or literary value," Kelsi said. "(That's) not necessarily Christian and not necessarily any faith-based anything. It truly is just the best kind of hallmark literature that you can find."

Similarly structured to a library, visitors can sit quietly inside the space and read the resource books as they like. Books may be checked out on a four-week basis, but a subscription rate of $10 a month or $100 per year is required. 

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The business doesn't have a drop box for returns, but instead wants to encourage visitors to drop off their books to a person, which may tempt them to grab a cup of coffee or explore other literary options. 

Because the library is only one facet of the business. 

Small meeting rooms also are available for reservations for groups such as book clubs, moms clubs, art classes and more. A wall dedicated to retail items such as jewelry and pottery made by local artisans also fills the space. And, in addition to the library, the space also serves as a coffeehouse, offering locally roasted Toccoa Coffee, as well as baked goods made in house and gluten-free snacks. 

"For us, it's a place for the community, to come to get resources and to truly get back to gather as a family," Kelsi said. "It's nice to just have a place that's peaceful and you can sneak away to a study room and you have the resources here and to just to come and perch for a while."

Heritage Meeting House is open Monday through Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m., Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Contact Mary Shown at 574-235-6244 and mshown@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @maryshownSBT and @marketbasketSBT.