Thursday, September 24

Our day changed with a phone call when Cerwin’s hearing aid appointment at Costco, was postponed because his technician had a family emergency. (He goes for an update/test every few months.)

We were in the mood to go somewhere, so Cerwin suggested Stonehouse Café in Clay for an early supper. We weren’t aware that it had opened as a café until a few days earlier. Throughout most of my life it was a tavern, so I had never been inside. We were delighted to learn that it had been transformed into something family friendly.

If I remember correctly, it opened about two months ago.

This small village near us has only a dozen or so buildings on the main street (Rt. 322) which include a pizza shop, tire store, book store, two nice gift shops, a car lot, our favorite ice cream stop (Fox Meadows Creamery) and now this new café. It is probably one of the “coolest” small villages in our area.

The part of the building closest to my camera was built in 1767 and was first known as Clay Hotel. The land was previously owned by William Penn.

It was a rest stop for travelers during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars where people could purchase food, a room, and keep their horses in the building next door.

During the years it was often used as a poling place and during the Revolutionary War it was where young men (sometimes boys) came to see if they were drafted into the war. Michael Huber (owner at the time) had two daughters, Barbara and Christina. Christina, then a little girl, was blindfolded and drew names from a box in accordance with the usual custom. If your name was drawn, you were drafted into the war.

According to written history, the building was enlarged three times during the years and had many names. It was usually a rest stop/tavern. On occasion it was a private home and at one time it included a general store.

It was often used as a poling place and many interesting events were told about election days. History tells us there were many bloody conflicts by those with opposing opinions. On one occasion two men, got involved in a fight in the nearby orchard. Both carried the scars of that conflict to their graves. One was minus a finger and the other had a piece of flesh taken from his cheek.

It seem that politics has been an angry, dangerous business since the beginning of politics. Like the writer of Ecclesiastes said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” 🙂

We were early (before many other patrons arrived for supper) so had time to meet the owner and his son and hear some of the cafe’s history. We were sitting in the area that was added a few years after the original building and facing part of the wall that was once the outside of building.

Cerwin ordered a California Cheeseburger

I thoroughly enjoyed half of my tuna salad sandwich (took the other half home for the next day) and a cup of tomato bisque.

Everything was delicious. The tomato bisque was exceptional!

If you live in our area and want to check it out go to https://stonehousecafe.net.

I look forward to going there for coffee and breakfast some day in the near future. https://stonehousecafe.net/menu. I want to try the avocado toast.