FAQs
- WHO OWNS THE OLD TAVERN IN UNIONVILLE, OHIO - The Old Tavern Preservation Society acquired The Old Tavern through direct negotiations in 2014, the day before the Tavern was set to go up for auction.
- WHAT IS THE OLD TAVERN PRESERVATION SOCIETY - The Old Tavern Preservation Society (or The Unionville Tavern Preservation Society) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established in 2011 following the success of the "Save The Tavern!" campaign for the purpose of saving the Tavern from demolition by neglect. We are a volunteer organization engaged in a multi-phase historic preservation project to Rehabilitate, Restore, & Revitalize The Old Tavern in Unionville, Ohio. We operate under the direction of a Board, an Executive Director who manages the day-to-day operations, and a dedicated group of volunteers.
- WHAT WILL THE TAVERN BE WHEN IT'S DONE - The Old Tavern will be a multi-use facility with opportunities for education, heritage tourism, community space, and special events.
- WILL THE TAVERN BE A RESTAURANT AGAIN - Since 1798 The Old Tavern has provided food and comfort to travelers and the local community. We want to re-establish The Old Tavern as a destination once again. That said, there are many factors that go into running and operating a successful full service restaurant. And while most everyone remembers enjoying a dinner (complete with corn fritters) at the Tavern, the majority of memories shared with us are the special occasions and life events celebrated there. We do envision the revitalized Tavern with a working kitchen and the capacity to host dinners. While we can't fully answer this at this time, we continue to be open to all possibilities, and potential partners, for the future of the Tavern.
- WHEN WILL THE TAVERN RE-OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - The Old Tavern remains closed to the public during construction. The Old Tavern Preservation Society will occasionally host events at the Tavern in the gardens. As more of the historic preservation is completed, more of the Tavern will be accessible to the public. Keep checking out EVENTS page for opportunities to gather at The Old Tavern.
- WHY IS THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION/CONSTRUCTION PROJECT TAKING SO LONG - Historic Preservation is not your typical renovation. Our goal is to keep as much of the original building material intact while brining the Tavern up to modern code to ensure it's existence for future generations. Based on the current conditions of the building, it is evident that the building was deteriorating behind the walls long before we took ownership of the building. Therefore, each project presents it's own challenges when opening up the walls and floors. As we complete each phase of the construction we are improving the buildings structural integrity, fixing what needs fixed, and planning for its eventual re-opening. All that said, construction progress depends on just one thing: FUNDING.
- WHERE DOES THE SOCIETY GET ITS FUNDING - The Society is engaged in several fundraising activities to continue to revitalize The Old Tavern. Sources of revenue include fundraising events like our UNIONVILLE DERBY and CORN FRITTER CLASSIC, generous donations, sustaining gifts and memberships (1798 CLUB), and grants from public &private foundations and also the state of Ohio.
- HOW MUCH FUNDING DOES THE SOCIETY NEED TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT - The Society anticipates needing an additional 5-7 million to complete the revitalization of The Old Tavern. This does not include the operational costs associated with running the non-profit.
- IS THE OLD TAVERN "SAVED" - YES! The Society considers The Old Tavern saved. Construction projects began in 2015 with initial temporary stabilization of the structure. Since then we have continued to install stabilization measures throughout the building as needed. We have completed a replacement of the roof, reinforced the foundation in the basement, rebuilt the portico, and are currently rebuilding the North wall of the main building. In fact, improvements during this phase of the project have allowed us to REMOVE some of the initial temporary stabilization installed years ago!
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE OLD TAVERN HISTORY HERE
