Lititz, PA: Welcome Center/Reading Depot Replica and Wilbur Chocolate

Depot: (Satellite)

Store: (Satellite)

Original Factory: (Satellite, this was closed in 2016.)

Current Factory: (Satellite)

Street View, Nov 2021

They have a "caboose park" west of the station and the chocolate factory is across the tracks from the station.

Street View, Oct 2024

Peter Donato, Aug 2020

The retail store is a block to the east.

Street View, Oct 2024

Metrotrails posted two photos with the comment:

Then and Now Series: Historic 1884 B. Frank Saylor image of the Lititz Pennsylvania train station on the Reading and Columbia Railroad, compared to the same scene on our 2023 hike.

Built southwest from Reading in 1864, the Reading and Columbia Railroad was leased by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad in 1870.

The original freight station in Lititz was at the former Ideal Chocolate and Cocoa Company building site, now "Wilbur Chocolate" or rather the Wilbur Hotel. The passenger station on the south side of the tracks was originally built in 1884, and then demolished in 1857 to made for a larger park entrance. However, a beautiful replica station on the same site was erected on the same spot in 1999. One difference is the modern station awning does not stretch as far as the original did.

Today, the tracks have been removed from a point just east of here in Lititz to Ephrata, and the right of way is the Warwick-Ephrata Rail Trail.

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wilburbuds_history

The Hershey Kiss was 13 years later in 1907.

Mickey Barns posted three images with the comment:

Wilbur buds vs Hershey's kisses: Lititz, PA's chocolate tradition

Titles are generated by AI from Meta

Everyone knows the Hershey Kiss but do you know about the Wilbur Bud?

If you have ever tried a Wilbur Bud you definitely have an opinion on wish [which] is better.

Wilbur Buds were first introduced in 1893 by the H.O. Wilbur & Sons Chocolate Company, located in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Hershey's Kisses didn't hit the market until 1907. Although Hershey successfully dominated the mass market with widespread availability and its iconic foil-and-plume packaging, Wilbur Buds remain a beloved Pennsylvania tradition favored for their distinct melt-away quality.

*Wilbur Buds debuted in 1893, 14 years before Hershey's Kisses were introduced in 1907.

*Wilbur Buds are recognized for a rich, melt-in-your-mouth flavor, whereas Hershey's Kisses are sometimes described as having a grainier or waxier texture due to their specific ingredient profile and processing methods.

*Wilbur Buds can be purchased in both classic milk and rich dark chocolate. Hershey's Kisses are traditionally sold in milk chocolate, though seasonal varieties like almond and dark chocolate exist.

*Hershey's Kisses are famous for their individual foil wrappers and signature paper plumes. Wilbur Buds are not individually wrapped.

*Each Wilbur Bud is molded with the letters of the maker across its flat base.Availability

*Wilbur Buds can be bought at the Wilbur Chocolates storefront in Lititz, Pennsylvania, or via mail-order.

What Do People Think?

Mark Brewer: Here is the true test. Take one of each (separately) and put it in your mouth and hold it there. The Wilbur bud will melt and coat your tongue in delicious chocolate. Hershey kiss will just sit there and do nothing.

That's how you tell good chocolate.

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wilburbuds_history
"When H.O. Wilbur first concocted Wilbur Buds in 1894, he hardly could have predicted his signature treat would be savored for generations.
Back then, chocolate was commonly manufactured as bars. His velvety smooth drops, made by pouring a rich chocolate blend into intricate metal molds, were a deliciously simple alternative. These “Buds” were named for their flower-like silhouette and came to fame for their rich, creamy flavor."
[Hershey Kisses are extruded instead of molded.]

Wilbur Buds Online

"In 2016, the production of Wilbur Chocolate at its longtime plant on North Broad Street was ceased, ending the site's celebrated 125-year run of creating the confectionery. Present owner Cargill Inc. established the Wilbur Chocolate outlet store across the street at 45 N. Broad St. and opened a Wilbur plant on Lincoln Avenue in Lititz, where white chocolate is currently manufactured. In addition to the sale of a variety of retail items, the outlet store creates some in-house delicacies that incorporate the use of Wilbur Chocolate. A lot of that chocolate, which has stayed true to the original Wilbur recipe, is being produced in Mount Joy, in Hazleton and at the Lincoln Avenue facility....In the early 1900s, commercial success expanded the production of Wilbur Chocolate from Philadelphia to Lititz. Before Cargill purchased Wilbur in 1992, chocolate was produced in Lititz for the better part of the 20th century." [TownLively]

The street view near the top of these notes is of the south side of the factory. This is a view of the north side. At least part of the factory is now a Hilton hotel.

Street View, Oct 2024

The railroad was the Reading.

1956/57 Lititz Quad @ 24,000

It is now a NS spur.

National Rail Network Map

The new chocolate factory is not rail served. I think this Pfizer plant is the only rail served plant in town. When I first saw "distribution center," I assumed yet another warehouse. But later I noticed the tank cars on the sidings. They at least package a liquid here. Perhaps they manufacture, as well as package, drugs. The jnj website does not list locations.

Satellite