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‘A sense of home’: Toland-Herzig’s welcome mat out at Phila
May, 2003
 By LEE MORRISON, T-R Business Editor
Many things look different, but the focus remains the same at the new Toland-Herzig Funeral Home location at New Philadelphia.
“In everything that we have done, we really wanted to maintain that sense of ‘home,’ ” said owner John Herzig. “Even though we have made many changes and improvements - the building still has character.”
Herzig purchased the former Naylor Funeral Home at 246 E. High Ave. Toland-Herzig Funeral Homes also are located at Dover and Strasburg.
“We have served families from New Philadelphia for years and many have mentioned how much more convenient it would be to have a Toland-Herzig location in New Philadelphia,” Herzig said. “As importantly, we acquired an existing business with a history of serving families in this community. We didn’t just buy a chunk of land, drop a building on it and say ‘we’re open.’ A lot of thought and planning went into this acquisition to assure that we were doing the right thing at the right time and doing it the right way.”
The Tuscarawas County Chamber of Commerce will conduct a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the business community and Chamber members on May 16 at noon. About 100 area ministers have been invited to tour the facility later that day.
A public open house is scheduled May 18 from 2 to 5. Refreshments will be served.
“We receive several calls each week asking us when we are going to be open, or how soon we will be having the open house, so we are thrilled that it is near,” Herzig said. “The open house serves as a time of celebration for us in that our 10-month renovation has finally been completed. The event will also provide an opportunity for our families and staff members to welcome old friends and make new ones. So many of our staff have such deep roots in New Philadelphia that it is just a really exciting time for us.”
The most noticeable changes are outside the building. Entry to the funeral home is being focused at the side of the building, with a 70-foot covered portico along the entire length of the building. There are new steps and a heated ramp to the electric, sliding door.
A house at 240 E. High Ave. was torn down for parking space, creating about 40 spaces in addition to parking off Allen. Ln. The parking lot, nearly double its previous size, and new entrance helps shift people away from the former entrance and high traffic volume of E. High Ave.
A 5,000-gallon pond with a 3-foot waterfall has been installed at the rear of the property by personnel from Willowbrook Water Gardens of Uhrichsville. It is stocked with Koi and goldfish.
“We have one at Dover and people found it a very soothing and relaxing place for people to get away to,” Herzig said.
The pond is landscaped and has a walking area, along with two benches.
Inside the building is a 1,500-square foot addition that includes two handicapped-accessible restrooms, a small office and a new conference room. The conference room is equipped with the new Family Advisor system, which uses a computer to allow the family to view hundreds of options and immediately see how various combinations will appear.
The conference room and changes in the facility allow staff to meet with families for planning services while calling hours or services for another family are conducted in the building. Previously, there wasn’t room for that.
There is a new coffee lounge for families.
Video monitors have been installed in all of the rooms on the main floor so that no matter what room a person is in, they can view video tributes to the deceased. The sound system and video capabilities also have been upgraded.
The building was refurbished by Smith Immel Construction of Dover. Herzig’s wife Joyce handled the design and decoration.
“We tried to keep things uplifting and light – a homey atmosphere,” Joyce said. “There’s a color scheme of light teals and plums and some unique things – butterflies painted by Teresa Prince in the foyers.
Joyce said she tried to duplicate the handicapped-accessible restrooms at the funeral homes’ Monarch Center after hearing many comments about how easy it is to get around in them.
Eventually opening at New Philadelphia was one of the factors in locating Toland-Herzig’s Monarch Center on the Boulevard at Dover, which is available for use for funeral receptions. The center is near the New Philadelphia border and closer than the funeral home at 803 N. Wooster Ave., Dover.
“We have been overwhelmed by the support shown while our building has been tied up in the renovation process,” John Herzig said. “We look forward to the opening of the funeral home so that we can serve New Philadelphia families at an even higher level. When we announced the acquisition of the Naylor Funeral Home, we had a tremendous rise in the number of individuals and families in New Philadelphia who called us to make pre-planned arrangements.”
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