The Owners and the Property
In 1771, a German Settler name Trimmer built a large stone barn for his dairy cows and hay. He mortared the stones with clay, lime, and horsehair. The property remained a dairy farm until the 1940's when themilk control board began to regulate prices of milk. As a result, many dairy framers sold their cows and bought milk in New York and Pennsylvania. In 1965, the barn and six acres were sold to Jack Borgenicht. Work began to transform the barn into a brew pub in January 1995. An attempt was made to keep everything as original as possible. The hand-hewn timbers were preserved and all the window openings are original. Ownership was transferred in 2010 and many new improvements have been made to the property as we continue to grow into Restaurant Village. Ownership was transferred to Steve and Andrea Bussel in 2010.
The Barn
As far as anyone can determine, the stonewalls of the pub were erected around 1771 by German immigrants. The original structure was a classic bank barn with what is now the main entrance being the bank or upper entrance. The original upper floor of the structure was used as a hay barn. The upper floor was originally vaulted. What is now the upstairs was non-existent. Livestock were probably kept on the ground floor where the kitchen is now.
The Renovation
The building was renovated in 1995 having been in complete disrepair. As much of the original beams as possible are visible in the framing on the upper floors. The main entrance and brewery were added onto the original structure during the renovations. Many people remember a sawmill in association with the buildings past. The sawmill was a separate building located next to the barn that is now the Brew Pub. The sawmill was dismantled during the renovation.
