Two fundraisers slated this year to benefit restoration of The Old Tavern - The News Herald
The group that’s spearheading efforts to restore The Old Tavern in Madison Township has announced plans for two major fundraisers this year.
The Old Tavern Preservation Society will host Unionville Derby — A Night at the Races on May 10 and the Corn Fritter Classic golf outing on July 12. This year’s Unionville Derby is being conducted for the first time since 2019.
Proceeds from both events will benefit the group’s ongoing efforts to rehabilitate, revitalize and restore The Old Tavern, which is located at 7935 South Ridge Road in Madison Township.
The Old Tavern, also known to many people as Unionville Tavern, was built in 1798. It is situated in and named after Unionville, an unincorporated community that doesn’t have its own government and lies within Madison Township in Lake County and neighboring Harpersfield Township in Ashtabula County.
The Old Tavern has secured a position on the National Register of Historic Places and is recognized as Ohio’s oldest surviving tavern, the society stated on its website.
Here are details about both of the society’s fundraisers:
• Unionville Derby — A Night at the Races will be held May 10 at Geneva Community Center, 72 W. Main St. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the event, which includes virtual horse racing; wagering and a loser bucket; dinner; an open bar, featuring the signature Stagecoach cocktail; entertainment; a basket auction; and 50/50 raffle.
The derby ties in with Unionville’s own place in horse racing history.
“George Hopper, an executive of the Standard Oil Co. and associate of John D. Rockefeller, lived in Unionville and maintained a thriving horse farm,” according to information provided by the society. ”He bred and raised champion racers and hosted races at Elmwood Farms in Unionville.”
• The fourth annual Corn Fritter Classic golf outing will take place July 12 at Madison Country Club, located at 6130 Chapel Road. Golfing at the event will begin with a 1 p.m. shotgun start.
Golfers who participate in the outing will be eligible to win prizes, and receive lunch as well as a dinner that features corn fritters. This fried cake became a part of the outing’s title as a tribute to corn fritters being a beloved item on The Old Tavern’s menu.
Arthur and Hulda Fritz introduced corn fritters to the tavern when they owned and operated the establishment in the 1930s and 1940s.
Tickets for both events are available at shopoldtavernohio.org.
That same website offers information on become a sponsor for different aspects of either Unionville Derby — A Night at the Races or the Corn Fritter Classic. Discounts are available for signing up as a sponsor for both events.
Anyone needing additional information on these fundraisers can contact Erin Cicero, executive director of The Old Tavern Preservation Society, at savethetavern@gmail.org or 440-417-8299.
As for the ongoing restoration of The Old Tavern, Cicero said the society is hoping to start Phase 3 of the project this summer.
“This phase will complete the necessary work to the north wall and complete the exterior of the main building,” she said.
About three years ago, the society completed Phase 2, which restored the front portico and completed most of the exterior.
In 2017, the society celebrated the completion of Phase 1 of The Old Tavern restoration, which involved installation of a new roof; interior stabilization; re-establishing the portico, or front porch; and refurbishing the portico’s pillars.