Unionville panel lauded for good work

If you want to talk about historically significant buildings in Lake County, the Unionville Tavern should be a part of that conversation. After all, the tavern, built in 1798, is described by multiple online sources as possibly the oldest tavern in Ohio and one of the oldest buildings in Ohio’s Western Reserve. The tavern also served as a frontier post office and station on the Underground Railroad.

It’s important for current and future generations to learn about the history of Lake County, and being able to see historical landmarks is a great experience as well. That’s why buildings such as the Unionville Tavern, located at 7935 South Ridge Road in Madison Township, should be kept standing and in good condition. And with that goal in mind, we’re glad that the tavern is owned and being restored by the Unionville Tavern Preservation Society.

The society purchased the four parcels making up the historic tavern on Aug. 5, 2014, a day before a tax foreclosure case was to send the parcels to a county auction. We’re impressed with the society’s efforts to revitalize the Unionville Tavern and believe the group deserves recognition for what it has accomplished.

First, let’s consider how the society has excelled at raising money to breathe new life into the Unionville Tavern. It displayed its acumen for securing financial backing right from the start, when it kept the Unionville Tavern from going on the auction block. The society accomplished this in 2014 by conducting an online crowd-funding campaign and receiving a special donation in order to buy the property for about $90,622.

For the past four years, the society has raised funds for Unionville Tavern’s restoration through a variety of methods.

When it comes to garnering state grants, the Unionville Tavern Preservation Society has twice secured Ohio Cultural Facilities Grants. A grant awarded in 2016 helped to fund completion of Phase 1 of the Unionville Tavern restoration a year later. Phase 1 involved installation of a new roof; interior stabilization; reestablishing the portico, or front porch; and refurbishing the portico’s pillars

Two years later, in 2018, the society has received another Ohio Cultural Facilities Grant, which will be used to begin Phase 2 of the restoration.

It’s anticipated that Phase 2 work will begin in spring 2019 and be completed by the end of the year. Phase 2 will include internal structural and foundation rehabilitation and completion of the front portico, including finish work.

At the local level, the society also has held an assortment of fundraisers, such as Unionville Derby: A Night at the Races in April at the Geneva Community Center, and the Masquerade Reverse Raffle in October at LaMalfa in Mentor.

“Community events and fundraisers not only help to raise the necessary funds to maintain the effort, they connect the tavern to the community and keep our heritage alive,” the society stated on its website.

When it comes to securing monetary contributions from individual donors, outside of community events, the Unionville Tavern Preservation Center also has enjoyed success.

Thanks to its website and Facebook page, the society stays in touch with people throughout the United States who are captivated by the Unionville Tavern’s past and want to invest in its future.

“We’re very good at connecting with people from all over the country when it comes to donations,” said Brian Horgan, the society’s vice president of operations.

In addition, we applaud the society’s commitment to thoughtful planning when it comes to the Unionville Tavern’s future. After taking ownership of the tavern, the society wisely decided to consult engineering and building experts to assess the tavern’s structural deficiencies and take steps for emergency stabilization of the building.

More recently, the society undertook a feasibility study aimed at helping it connect with large corporate and foundation contributors. Horgan said the society is working with a nonprofit fundraising organization to identify entities that can make large-scale contributions for the remainder of the restoration project.

The Unionville Tavern Preservation Society deserves to be commended for the professionalism it has demonstrated in the areas of fundraising, creative marketing and shortand long-range planning. The future of the Unionville Tavern is in good hands with this group, and we predict that it will achieve success in completing the restoration of this beloved and historic building.