Boone Tavern

Boone Tavern is a restaurant, hotel, and guesthouse affiliated with Berea College in Berea, Madison County, Kentucky.

History

It was built in 1909 at the suggestion of Nellie Frost, the wife of the College president, William Goodell Frost. Until then, guests of the college had been welcomed into the president's home for lodging and meals. However, as the reputation of Berea College grew, so did the number of guests that Mrs. Frost received, reaching a total of 300 guests in one summer, thus came the idea for a College guest house – Boone Tavern Hotel.

According to an article in the "Berea Quarterly", Boone Tavern is named for after Daniel Boone, the early Kentucky explorer who "... performed his chief exploits in the immediate vicinity. Boonesborough itself is northwest of Berea in the same county, and Station Camp Creek, where Boone and his borther made long stays, is east of us. Boone's Pinnacle is in our own forest reserve east of Berea, Scaffold Cane hill is two miles south, and Boones Gap is two miles southwest. The redoubtable hero must have slept many times within a mile or two of the Tavern which bears his name."

Construction of Boone Tavern began in 1907 based on designs by the New York architectural firm of Cady & See at a cost of $20,000. The building, made of bricks manufactured by students in the College's brickyard, was constructed by the College's Woodwork Department. The "Tavern" portion of the name derives from the historic definition that refers to a public inn for travelers rather than the modern definition related to the sale of alcohol.

Built at a prominent location on the College Square in the heart of Berea where the old Dixie Highway intersected with the campus, this historic hotel and restaurant became a popular destination with the traveling public from the beginning of the "automobile age."

Boone Tavern today

During the past nine decades, Boone Tavern has expanded to meet the changing needs of the traveling public. Over the years, Boone Tavern's 25 original guest rooms have grown to 58 and include modern amenities to ensure comfort without infringing on the historic beauty of the hotel. All guest rooms feature handcrafted cherry, oak, and pine furniture made by Berea College Student Crafts over the past 100 years. Boone Tavern, a member of the Historic Hotels of America, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Boone Tavern is owned by Berea College and students make up about 80% of the staff at the historic hotel and restaurant. In addition to carrying full academic loads, Berea College students are required to work at least ten hours per week at Boone Tavern or one of the other 130 college departments and work areas across campus. Students earn money for books, room, and board at the College – but pay no tuition – thanks to the generosity of donors who support Berea College's mission of providing a high-quality education for students primarily from Appalachia who have high academic potential and limited financial resources.

External links

* [http://www.boonetavernhotel.com/ Boone Tavern website]