Olde Bartley House Coffee & Donuts
Danielle Wolter Nolan, Dietrich Gosser, and Donna Wolter at the Olde Bartley House. ~ story and photos by Bob Gustin
Donna and Phil Wolter had just launched a new chapter in their lives as owners of the Olde Bartley House in Nashville when everything changed on Dec. 2, 2024. Phil died that day from an accident that happened while driving back to Nashville from Evansville on the icy interstate, just two weeks after the couple moved to Brown County.
Phil had spent nearly four years remodeling and refurbishing the historic building with the help of about 100 local craftsmen.
An artist and businessman, he carefully selected the antique dining chairs and reupholstered them as necessary. He oversaw improvements to the building’ s foundation, floors, electrical, plumbing and structural systems. He chose handcrafted walnut tabletops and countertops. And he spent hours picking which pieces to display by famed local photographer Frank Hohenberger.
Phil created the logo for the Olde Bartley House, getting it just right after doing 287 drawings of it, Donna said.
He named the coffee and donut shop’ s signature pastry, the volant, after the French word for“ flight,” a concept which captivated him. The donut is a light, croissant-based Americana treat offered in an array of flavors.
Besides volants and gourmet coffee, the shop offers a variety of sandwiches and other items. A room upstairs from the restaurant is available upon request, and can be rented for special events.
Donna said she was ready to retire and do more volunteer work after moving to Brown County just over a year ago.
Now, with the help of her daughter Danielle Wolter Nolan and general manager Dietrich Gosser, she is more involved in the operation than she imagined she would ever be.
16 Our Brown County • Jan./ Feb. 2026