A nearly 200-year-old tavern in North Ridgeville is revealing long-buried secrets as it prepares to welcome guests for its grand reopening. Century Tavern, a place steeped in history, holds stories within its walls, original beams, and handmade bricks—each one a silent witness to the past.
“It may sound trivial or really like nothing, but when you’re alone and you’re just looking at stuff like that, you’re talking to these people,” said Tom Kelly, the tavern’s owner.
Kelly first gained attention about a year and a half ago when he stumbled upon a hidden mural while renovating the historic site. “I was just swinging that sledgehammer, and I hit it. I looked down, and it just caught my eye. I saw nose over hair,” he recalled.
The artwork, now preserved behind plexiglass, is believed to be a replica of Chant to the War Bonnet, a piece that may pay homage to Ohio’s Native American heritage. Bill Noll of the North Ridgeville Historical Society suggests the mural dates back to the late 1930s or early 1940s. “If you look at when plastering was done in the ‘30s, if that was about the time they put the plastering on the walls, it had to be done after that,” Noll explained.
The mural’s origins remain uncertain. Some speculate it was painted by a Native American traveler passing through, but its true purpose is still a mystery. “I hate to say I’ll find out when we die, maybe at the gates of heaven,” Kelly mused.
However, the mural is just one piece of the tavern’s enigmatic past. Kelly also suspects a sealed-off tunnel in the basement was once part of the Underground Railroad. “This was the last stop before they hit Lake Erie and crossed to Canada, to freedom,” he said.
Each discovery adds another layer to the tavern’s rich narrative. “Respect history. I saved it. I mean, it’s so easy to destroy something, throw it away,” Kelly emphasized.
Though he never envisioned himself at the center of a historical landmark, Kelly is now embracing the role, eager to add his own chapter to the tavern’s legacy. “[If] anybody from anywhere in northeast Ohio wants to stop in, walk in here, you can talk to the walls like I do. And I don’t care what anybody says, this represents something good,” he said.
For those eager to step into history, Century Tavern’s grand opening is set for this weekend—just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.