Bakery rises again at Timberlake location

Hands that once made birthday cakes for U.S. presidents now whip up chocolate frosting, custard filling, éclairs and donuts in Lynchburg.

George Walls ran a popular bakery in Maryland for more than 30 years. His family now lives in Campbell County and they have reopened the bakery on the corner of Timberlake and Leesville roads.

Selina Crawford, Walls’ granddaughter, said the shop already is building a name for itself.

“At first it was the doughnuts, because everyone knows this as a doughnut shop,” she said. Then word got out about the éclairs. “They call it ‘the northern thing.’ They can’t find it down here.”

George and Christa Walls bought a bakery in Waldorf, Md., about 40 years ago. Under their hands it became popular and grew to a larger location.

The family catered for the White House, making birthday cakes for several elected officials and their families.

On the wall of their Lynchburg bakery, they have a letter from Spiro Agnew, who was vice president when he wrote it in 1972. “The cake you made for Mrs. Agnew was a very pleasant birthday surprise, and I appreciate your preparing it on such short notice,” the letter said. “I understand … that this was but the latest of many that you have made for us. They have each been delicious.”

Crawford said they also have thank you letters from Ronald Reagan that aren’t hung yet.

The Walls retired in 2005 and moved to Gladys. Not long after that, he and his wife stopped by The Bakery on Timberlake Road. Christa Walls loved it and wished it were for sale so they could buy it.

“It reminded her of their first bakery, when they started out,” Crawford said. “My grandfather’s had his eye on this place since 2005.”

Christa Walls never got to see her family take over the Timberlake bakery. She died in 2007, Crawford said.

Last year the family opened a bakery and deli in Rustburg that was successful. It took off and they were making 15 dozen éclairs each day. “Which is a lot,” Crawford said.

The family’s heart was in the bakery, not the deli, however. They started looking for a place with a larger kitchen so they could expand their baking.

In July, Jyl VanDusen closed The Bakery and her other shop, Donald’s Bagels on Lakeside Drive, due to the cash flow problems caused by high interest rates. When the Walls family heard, they went to buy the bakery from her. They opened it as Walls Bakery about two months ago.

Everything is made from scratch, Crawford said. The night crew shows up at 9 p.m. to bake until about 5 a.m., when the shop opens.

George Walls, at the age of 81, still comes in overnight to bake his pies, Crawford himself. “He tries to let go, but he won’t,” Crawford said. “It’s in his blood.”

VanDusen’s other business, the bagel shop on Lakeside Drive, could reopen soon as well. Tom and Michelle Buffin plan to open Bagel’licious in a few weeks, said VanDusen’s son Rob Bartsch. He has been hired to help start the shop and make bagels again.