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(156) (76) (15) (3) (2)Many people don't notice it as they drive down the scenic lane. Instead, they're looking at the Conestoga River that runs by and the huge historic bridge across the street. The dam that was once there is no longer, but many locals remember it — and the tavern of yesteryear.
Although supported by a steady stream of regulars, the building in recent years had become outdated.
This historic tavern was purchased last year by two young men who are successfully transforming the restaurant/bar, yet maintaining Rock Hill Tavern's historic integrity.
Rob Commero, 32, of Ephrata and Chad Martin, 27, of Millersville, bought the tavern in August 2007 and have spent countless hours breathing new life into the tavern that once was a haven for railroad workers and river workers.
On any given night, regulars and newcomers can be found in the rustic tavern exchanging stories and catching up on each other's lives. According to the owners, the foundation of this restaurant is the history and the camaraderie of its patrons.
"We all depend on each other," Commero said. "It's the history that draws them in."
Rockhill is a small post town situated on the Conestoga River, about midway between Slackwater and Safe Harbor. It once contained a grist mill, hotel, blacksmith shop, about 20 dwellings and a post office.
The new owners, who both were part of the Isaac's Restaurant & Deli family for many years and received much of their restaurant knowledge and training as general managers within the chain, now credit each other for motivation in their new business endeavor.
"We have put everything into this, and we complement each other," Commero said.
"What he is strong at, I am not, and vice versa," Martin said in the remodeled dining room of the restaurant on a recent afternoon. "We really push each other to succeed."
Martin, who graduated from Johnson & Wales University, and Commero, who has earned hospitality certification, loved the history of the tavern for years.
"We knew the place and knew it was a diamond in the rough," Commero said.
The tavern's previous owners of 14 years had invested some money into the bar area, but Commero and Martin revamped the dining area immediately.
"We bought it on a Monday morning and that afternoon hit the ground running on making it what we wanted it to be," Commero said.
What was once an outdated, dark and smoky dining area is now a warm, inviting room with custom-made tables, exposed stone walls, a fireplace and a new paint job.
"Maintaining the historic value of the place was really important to us," Martin said.
"When we came to dinner here while looking at the place, the dining room was a smoking one," Commero said. "It was like a cloud of smoke was over top of us and we had to cut through it to our food."
The duo declared there would be no smoking in the dining area, and the bar followed shortly thereafter when it followed the state's smoking ban.
The young owners have been embraced by the established restaurant's clientele, comprised of a lot of locals with others tossed in. A recent Thursday night boasted several cars in the parking lot with "I Love City Living" bumper stickers and a full bar and restaurant at 6 p.m.
The tavern, which can be considered a neighborhood bar because of its strong foundation of local regulars, is a stop-off point for many on their way home from work. Bill Sprecher of Millersville has been coming to the Rock Hill Tavern since the early '90s and witnessed the tavern's sense of community firsthand.
About three years ago, Sprecher's son was in need of a bone marrow transplant, and before he could ask for help, several of the servers at Rock Hill Tavern organized a fundraising event for Sprecher's son.
"Without saying a word, they jumped in to help and raised $15,000," Sprecher said. "That's the kind of people they are and that's the people that come here."
Nate West, 30, of Conestoga, stops regularly for food and drink after work. The history of the tavern is a draw for West because he likes "to listen to all of the old tales and witness the friendships that have lasted years around the bar."
West has frequented Rock Hill Tavern for about nine years, witnessing the change in ownership and says that he used to stop in for a burger but now finds himself ordering wraps, a new addition to the menu.
Within the restaurant are signs of days gone by with old pictures and memorabilia gracing the walls. The once-hotel was under water up to the third floor during Hurricane Agnes in 1972, and local lore says it housed transients who worked on the railroad and the river. The third floor is now apartments. The second floor, which was once a bar, is empty, and the duo have plans to expand and salvage the old bar area.
An outdoor patio is to receive a new floor in the spring.
There is no timeline for this project, but Commero and Martin are constantly working on something.
"This is a dream come true for us," Commero said. "I have been wanting to buy a restaurant forever and this one is exactly what I have always wanted it to be."
E-mail: cesbenshade@lnpnews.com
