Ye Olde Tavern, Vermont

Ye Olde Tavern is a restaurant in Manchester Center, Vermont, US, that is listed on the Vermont Register of Historic Places.^[1] It was built by Aaron Sheldon from Dorset, Vermont, in 1790, making it the oldest inn in the state of Vermont.^[2]^[3] It was also one of the first buildings in Manchester to house telephone lines, and was once "the headquarters for the movement to license the sale of 'spirituous beverages'."^[2] It began as a tavern in 1790 called The Stagecoach Inn,^[1] before becoming Lockwood's Hotel circa 1850.^[2] In 1860, the building was renamed Thayer's Hotel by the new owner, Steven Thayer.^[1] It became the Fairview Hotel in 1902 and, in 1934, it was a hotel and antique shop run by the new owner Walter Clemons.^[1] In 1975, it was renamed Ye Olde Tavern by Peter and Susan Palmer, who renovated the place in time for the 1976 United States Bicentennial.^[1]

Mark and Diedre Radicioni became the proprietors of Ye Olde Tavern around 1993. They took it over after losing their Grabbers Restaurant in Manchester to a fire.^[1] During their time as proprietors, Ye Olde Tavern was named the 1996 Restaurant of the Year by the National Restaurant Academy in the "Most Outstanding Value" category.^[1]

Michael and Minna Brandt have been the proprietors of Ye Olde Tavern since November 2001.^[2]^[4] The restaurant has a colonial setting and Michael Brandt commented, "When people step into the Ye Olde Tavern, it's like stepping back in time. The experience whisks you away to a bygone era."^[2] The tavern currently has seven dining rooms, two of which are upstairs, with ninety seats and a full bar.^[2]