We’re kicking-off demo in a big way. Matt and a team of Amish lads led by craftsman, Rudy Wengert tore down the aluminum siding. We are restoring the original 1849 cedar. We have a paint job scheduled but there is a good chance we’ll be able to keep this spooky look through Halloween, you’re welcome, New Wilmington.
The Tavern on the Square original siding restoration project
Josh Reiber, a talented local electrician, is keeping us safe on the job with temporary power systems.
Brad Latimer is our go-to guy from the New Wilmington Borough. He passes by most days and has answers for our questions.
Matt needed a good plumber. He was checking out the pipes in the basement and came across a service sticker. He called the number and found a great team that came with a solid gold nugget of Tavern history.
Master Plumber Jack Grimm remembers meeting Cora Durrast on the job over fifty years ago.
Jack Grimm’s first experience at The Tavern on the Square happened around five years old. ‘There was no daycare back then,’ says Jack. He had to go to work with his dad, also a Master Plumber, also a Jack Grimm. Jack’s father was the go-to plumber for The Tavern, as was Jack Grimm, himself.
Jack recalled one of his first meetings with restaurateur and famed founder of The Tavern, Cora Durrast, “I remember running to go grab a tool for my dad, ‘cause that’s what you did when my dad asked for a tool, you ran, and Cora stopped me. She told me, ‘ We don’t run here at The Tavern, because we don’t want anyone to think there is an emergency.’’’
“And that’s just how she was,’’ says Jack. ‘’She was always thinking of the customer and she always knew what she wanted.’’
Master Plumber Jack Grimm Jr. welds new copper pipes for The Tavern on the Square.
So Jack is back and has his own son with him now, Master Plumber, Jack Grimm, Jr. This father/son team is putting in a whole new system, including a new main! All input lines will be new copper. We’re also coming up to code. You’ll have hot hand washing water on the second floor in record time, by Tavern standards. We are also putting in a restaurant-wide water filtration system. Drinking water and cooking water will be as clean as the water we use at our home.
Tavern owner/Contractor Matt Noble inspects support post in the recently gutted kitchen.
Matt and his Amish crew have moved demo inwards. The kitchen is gutted. It is still rather rough-looking but we enjoy this phase of a remodel, the blank slate phase.
Rudy’s team is so fast, we sent them upstairs to take down the failing lathe and plaster ceilings and we are loving the beams they found underneath!
Second floor dining room demo exposes 1849 arch over bay windows.
Those are the big updates on the renovation. For those following our story on instagram or facebook, you’ll know we welcomed Katie Anterock to our team. She is helping us with PR and we couldn’t be more grateful for her warmth and strong work ethic.
PR Star Katie Anterock and her little man help us out at the Backyard Sale.
We’ve spoken with some wait-staff and potential back of house talent. We’re talking with farmers and getting excited about all we’re finding to put on the plate that came from local fields. It is coming together. Slowly in some ways. Quickly in others.
It’s a huge undertaking. Restaurants always rely on customers. We are humbled by how much support and enthusiasm we’ve encountered and we haven’t even opened the doors, yet.
Local Rancher Chuck Moose dropped by to talk pasture-fed beef.
Matt is on-site every day. The kids and I stop in some days but it’s getting more crumbly and dangerous as we dig deeper into the building. We were able to have a quiet moment a few days ago, lunch by the window.
Kids live in the moment. The Tavern is fine as it is for them. Matt and I are constantly planning and designing and future-tripping. Someday, that will be an Amish-crafted leather booth. We’ll be eating food that grew in the fields around us. A cold beer will meet us on warm August days. Friends will come in and relax and enjoy the country restaurant and pick up on the craftsmanship in the space that has served this area for over 170 years. The menu will attempt to match the sense of intentionality that the building, itself evokes while still keeping our patrons comfortable and satisfied. This is the future we see, and more.
We’ve lived in renovations before. We live in one now. We’re used to putting on the ‘what this could be’ glasses and keeping them on ’til the job is done. If you’ve done it, you know. You have to be ok with the mess and uncertainty.
It’s so much like cooking. I often told new students at the culinary school that cooking is making a big mess and then cleaning it all up…somebody gets to eat in-between. The point is, the mess is ok! It’s part of it!
Scene from the noble home. Owner Maggie Noble in her home kitchen during Tavern demo.
I suppose if I were to elaborate on that, I’d say that you have to get the tools out and make a mess to get to a finished product. You have to be patient or you’ll make poor decisions or mistakes. You also have to stay intentional and be ready for quick action when needed. And you have to be happy in the process. Because cooking is all about process. Serving, enjoying, that is surely part of it. But professional cooking is really about process. Any trade or craft is about process.
So we are knee deep in renovation process right now. Just like the professional kitchen, there is tension. Good working tension. Sometimes it boils over but we’re quick to take the pot off the burner and reset.
Thank you for coming with us on this journey. We are looking forward to meeting you in person at The Tavern on the Square in 2023. Follow our social media pages for regular sneak peeks or join us on our new YouTube channel for restoration shorts.
Gratefully,
The Nobles
