● Out & About
Tavern on the Square
HISTORY MEETS FINE CUISINE IN NEW WILMINGTON Story and photos by Beckie Erwin
This month we ventured to nearby New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, to taste dive into lunch at Tavern on the Square. With our cover featuring Celebrity Series at Westminster College in New Wilmington, we bill this as a destination for great food and entertainment.
The history The building that now houses Tavern on the Square was originally constructed in 1849 by a local doctor named Seth Poppino. It
Korean Sticky Ribs served as both his home and medical office. The Poppinos were known abolitionists, and local lore says this house may have been part of the Underground Railroad, giving the building a deep historical significance.
In 1931, during Prohibition, a young married couple, Cora Durrast and her husband, Ernst, both students at Westminster College, opened a small restaurant in a home across from the college. They named it simply“ The Tavern,” though because of Prohibition, it served no alcohol. After their initial success, they purchased the old Poppino building and moved the restaurant there. That’ s when“ The Tavern on the Square” was born.
Under Cora’ s direction, the restaurant developed its own distinct character and traditions, including the iconic“ sticky bun,” which was reportedly invented by Cora when a cook was out and the kitchen ran out of dinner rolls.
Over the decades, The Tavern became a destination restaurant. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was widely known and appreciated for its good food, warm environment, and consistent service traditions. After Cora passed away, several owner couples took over. Among them were Jay Behm and his wife, Jenny, who refurbished the interior with a rustic‐chic style; and later Joe and Susan Hougelman, who continued serving families and visitors for several years.
For much of its history, the borough of New Wilmington was“ dry,” meaning no alcohol sales were permitted. That changed in 2019, when local voters approved allowing the sale of beer and wine. The Tavern on the Square became the first( and only) establishment in town to hold a liquor license. Sadly, just as the Tavern began offering drinks, the COVID‐19 pandemic struck. The restaurant closed in 2020 and remained shuttered for
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