Plans To Restore Historic Carversville Inn Approved By Solebury

SOLEBURY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The board of supervisors on July 19 restored the heart to the historic village of Carversville.

In a unanimous vote, the five member board approved preliminary as final plans with conditions for the renovation and expansion of the historic Carversville Inn, which has sat vacant since 2020, a victim of the pandemic.

The approval brought prolonged applause from the audience, which filled the township meeting room. It also brought to conclusion what has been a lengthy land development process complicated by the pandemic.

According to the plans, the new owners of the Carversville Inn, Mitch Berlin and Milan Lint, will be returning the establishment to its original purpose as “a tasteful country inn and restaurant, catering to visitors from afar, but with a particular focus on local patrons.”

“We recognize the void created by the Inn’s closure due to the global pandemic and we are anxious to get the Inn up and running,” they said on social media. “However, the building requires structural improvements so that it adheres to current health and safety standards as well as meeting ADA compliance, ensuring that the Inn can be enjoyed by the broadest of communities.”

The plan “will restore the Carversville Inn to its former glory and make it the envy of surrounding communities,” said the owners. “Included will be a sit-down quality restaurant geared to locals and out-of-town guests alike. The restaurant will remain at its 65 seat capacity.”

The plan also includes converting four apartments on the building’s second floor to eight guest rooms, interior renovations to the building, an upgraded facade and a 600 square foot addition to accommodate larger ADA restrooms, wider doorways and hallways, safer stairs and an elevator.

The addition also will provide space on the second and third floors for the new guest suites, which the owners said are necessary to make the investment in renovations commercially viable.

More importantly, the construction will ensure the Inn’s structural and historical integrity for many decades to come, the owners said.

Mark Baum Baicker, the chairman of the board of supervisors and a Carversville resident, enthusiastically voted in favor of the plan.

“Carversville is a pretty tight-knit place and losing both the general store and the inn during a pandemic has been a real body blow to the community,” he said. “I see this as the beginning of a new era where our town square is restored to the gem it has always been.”

Marnie Newman, who lives across the street from the inn, was the only one who raised concerns about the plan, specifically pointing to the addition of the guest rooms.

“We need the inn revitalized. I am not against this project, but I need us to understand what this means to our tight knit community. As someone who lives across the street I am worried about its impact. I know we need it to be updated, but I’m worried.”

Resident Dr. Stanley Plotkin, who has lived in Carversville for a quarter of a century, urged the board to approve the plan, saying it’s what a majority of residents want.

“The Carversville Inn represents a place where people can meet in Carversville and socialize. The absence of that has been tremendously negative for the community. It has also been a place where a quality restaurant can exist, which also improves the community because people will want an excellent restaurant there.

“The majority of the community is very much in favor of a new Carversville Inn so that it will again become the heart of the community and improve the value of homes and also serve as a social center,” he said.

According to the Historic Carversville Society, the Carversville Inn was founded in 1855 by Isaac Stover as a County Inn to serve the needs of travelers and guests of the community. Throughout the passing years, the Carversville Inn has adapted to economic times and has taken on many forms known to the local community such as a general store, ice cream parlor and gas station.