New owners reopen Lardin House
Grey brick and white Victorian gingerbread are once more greeting guests at an area restaurant. William Tupperle and Louise Blaker, the new owners, have announced the reopening of the Lardin House Inn, Restaurant and Tavern on Route 21 near Masontown.
The Lardin House, first owned by the Miller and then the Wilson families, was purchased by William Lardin in 1877.
According to Herald-Standard files, the house has played a significant part in Fayette County history during the last two centuries. The first dwelling on the property dates to 1769. It was the home of the first area justice and it was also the site of the first gristmill in the area. The house was a stop on the Underground Railroad and is a sight of a “free slave” graveyard. The land grant still exists and is signed by Benjamin Franklin.
In 1995, the late Bernard “Bernie” Glad, his wife, Catherine, and his parents, Jerome L. Glad and Filomena Glad, opened The Lardin House Inn, honoring the family that owned the home for about a century. Glad then expanded the restaurant from three rooms of dining to two floors and added a quaint tavern room.
However, the Lardin House closed following Glad’s death in March 2003, leaving it empty for about two years.
New owners Blaker and Aupperle purchased the building in July 2004, and, after making renovations, reopened it as a restaurant and tavern last month.
“We purchased the building. We live here and moved into the building in October and made several repairs to the restaurant,’ Aupperle said. Later, and with a new liquor license, they reopened.
“The menu is totally changed, except for a few favorite items. The building was repainted, we added some color and all new furniture and revamped the kitchen. There is nothing left in there from before,’ Aupperle said.
“We dressed it up, refinished the floors, fixed walls since it had been empty for a while and did some different landscaping outside.’
“The dining area has been redecorated. One room is called the Civil War Room since the property was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. There are graphite drawings of Civil War reenactments done by local artist Beth Hovanic on display in this room. The entry way and a second dining room contain artwork by Tonye Sharp of Uniontown. There are antique items located throughout the house,’ Aupperle said.
Dining is now provided in four “intimate, newly decorated dining rooms,’ and offers the “freshest seasonal ingredients from local growers and producers,’ according to the Lardin House brochure.
It is also available for wedding rehearsal dinners, christening, anniversary, birthday or other special occasions or family events.
Located at 1892 McClellandtown Road, the Lardin House menu retains two of Glad’s specialties: Lardin House Chicken and Quatro Formaggi. There is also pasta with meatballs as well as strip steak with ancho chili rub. Another old favorite, Aupperle said, is pork tenderloin flavored with blackberry gastrique.
Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information or to make reservations, call the Lardin House at 724-583-8310.