Our STORY Founded ON A LONG HISTORY Years ago, in the late 1800’s, historic High Street in Dublin was filled with Bars and Pubs. In fact, local legend claims that practically every building in Old Dublin housed a tavern or bar at one time or another! The stagecoach stopped right across the street and provided a steady flow of visitors. It was a vibrant town, but it was a nasty town. Back then, the street outside these windows was notorious for drunken brawls, beatings, shootings and the like. Because of the proximity of the Scioto River and Dublin’s geological base, stones were plentiful and often the weapon of choice during these lively skirmishes. Indeed, the early storytellers of Dublin history state that “You didn’t want to approach Dublin without a rock in each hand!”. There was a standing joke that the rocks in Dublin had handles on them so they could be thrown more readily! This late 1800’s verse captures the “climate” of Dublin back then: Dublin, Dublin, city of beautiful roses, Gouged out eyes and bloody noses, If it weren’t for the solid rock foundation, It’d be gone to hell and damnation! Then… prohibition came, and the bars and taverns all closed, the visitors decreased and the village became a sleepy one…until now. Historic Dublin is experiencing a rebirth with the return of pubs, taverns, restaurants and many unique shops. This building is estimated to have been built in 1889 and was owned by Newton and Anna Dominy (see picture in brick room). They lived here and operated a hardware store out of the front building. Newton Dominy became Dublin’s Postmaster and this building was one of Dublin’s earliest Post Offices. Restoration of this structure began in 1998. Recovery of parts of the 1930s’ “Cleveland Times”, used then for insulation, yielded fascinating articles about “Professor” Einstein’s new theory and the invention of the starter for the automobile! A large 6 ft. wide by 6 ft. deep cistern was discovered under the bar room floor which served as the early settlers’ water supply fed by rain gutter downspouts! Behind the walls in the bar room, the original hand cut oak studs and beams, now almost petrified, still serve as the building’s primary frame support. Every attempt was made to preserve the Victorian and Italianate architecture and recreate the character and charm of the early days. The Dublin Village Tavern opened on Valentine’s Day in 2000 and a month later, on St. Patrick’s Day, George Killian Lett, the great grandson of the founder of Killian’s Brewery in Ireland, made a personal visit. Led in by bagpipes and an entourage of two busloads including his wife, George Killian at 82 years young charmed us all with his gracious demeanor and style. His signed picture hangs in the brick room providing a special memory of his historic visit. We at the Dublin Village Tavern welcome you and thank you for your business. Although we no longer allow rock throwing or drunken brawls, we do encourage you to relax, enjoy your visit, make new friends, partake in some of our exceptional tavern fare, have a pint and perhaps imagine for a moment what it was like 100 years ago and what stories these same walls would tell if they could! Thank You! The Dublin Village Tavern ©2019 All Rights Reserved. Website Designed & Developed by On-Target Design