NEWS

New Business Brings Vitality to Downtown Versailles

Versailles’ revived Hassmer House Tavern & Inn is part of a revitalization trend on the city’s courthouse square.

Hassmer House Tavern and Inn
Hassmer House Tavern & Inn, Versailles (Photo: Camela Jacobs, Intouch Photography)

Locally Focused

The Hassmer Hotel has been a fixture on Versailles’ courthouse square for almost 200 years. Today, after more than a decade of vacancy, the landmark is flourishing under new ownership and a complete renovation. Revived as the Hassmer House Tavern & Inn, the building is part of a revitalization trend on the city’s courthouse square.

Since its construction c.1830, the two-story structure has served as a saloon, restaurant, hotel, even a temporary jail. The building had been empty for more than a dozen years by the time Rachael and David VanArtsdalen saw it in 2020, but they were able to look past the dingy aluminum siding and dated interior to embrace the place’s potential.

Experienced culinary entrepreneurs from Dayton, the couple wanted to open a community-based restaurant and originally looked at another building nearby, but after seeing the Hassmer Hotel, most recently known as the Yellow Dog Tavern, they chose it as their venture’s new home.

The storied building had surprises in store for the VanArtsdalens as they began to peel back the layers both inside and out. Under the aluminum siding they found sturdy masonry and a long-covered fanlight entry. Inside, they found original stairway banisters hidden behind drywall.

Though labor delays and increases in materials costs complicated the project, the couple stayed focused and opened the new restaurant and bar in December 2021. Today, it’s a warm space enveloped in wood and brick. The restaurant seats 50 inside, with a new patio set to open that will double the capacity.

Hassmer House Versailles

(Photo: Camela Jacobs, Intouch Photography) 

The couple’s philosophy of connecting with community shines throughout every aspect of the business. The menu features fresh food prepared from scratch, using ingredients sourced from local farms and purveyors. Creating a place that offers a special experience at a price point everyone in the small town can enjoy is particularly important to them.

Last month, a crowd gathered to celebrate opening of the Hassmer House’s second-floor inn, a nostalgic Airbnb suite with space for four and a great view of the c.1860 courthouse across the street. Together, the inn and restaurant offer a destination for visitors to the nearby Versailles State Park, which now has a trail connected directly to the town.

Hassmer House, Versailles

(Photo: Camela Jacobs, Intouch Photography)

Along with ongoing rehab of an adjacent property, the revived Hassmer House is bringing new life to the heart of historic Versailles.

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