Photo: The Berry Tavern (Facebook)
DANVERS, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A historic restaurant in Danvers has retained a piece of its past.
Ashley Bono, one of the owners of The Berry Tavern on High Street, found a large wooden sign that read "Ye Olde Berry Tavern" in the Danvers Historical Society archives a few years ago.
"[Ashley] and her father came down here to do some research on the tavern and saw the sign," Danvers Historical Society President Dave McKenna told WBZ NewsRadio Friday. "I wasn’t here at the time when they saw it, but my understanding was they were ecstatic."
The sign is now back on display in a glass case at the front of the restaurant where customers can see it as they enter.
"It’s nice to have it out there where the public can see it, instead of just sitting in the basement where no one’s going to see it unless you go down there looking for something, which is what happened in this case," McKenna said. "And this way, we can get history in front of people."
The tavern's history dates back to 1741 when John Porter opened it as a public entertainment house. Ebenezer Berry purchased the property in 1804 and renamed it The Berry Tavern in 1808 after extensive renovations.
After several name and management changes through the rest of the century, the restaurant became Ye Olde Berry Tavern in 1898 until it closed in 1930.
In 2016, Ashley and her husband Joe Bono reopened The Berry Tavern where the original establishment once stood.
WBZ's Carl Stevens (@CarlWBZ) reports.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App | TikTok