blue J
53 posts
Jul 27, 2012
10:26 AM
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I don't know how far back you have to go to when the Yankee Tavern opened, but I remember my mother taking me there in the late 1970s- my sister took horseback lessons at Menker's, which was further south on Yankee Street, and we'd go to the Yankee Tavern and I'd get a Coke (which was quite a treat, when I was that age- we never had them at home, even up through my teens) and we'd throw darts, and eat peanuts. It's funny; that's one thing I remember distinctly is all of the peanut shells scattered all over the floor of the whole place.
This was back before I-675 was built. The intersection of Yankee and 725 was a three-way stop sign at that time, because Yankee didn't go all the way through to Mad River like it does now. It was a slower and simpler pace of life back then, just like everywhere else.
So anyway, I don't remember if it was there or not into the mid-1980s, when the highway was being built. But either way, It was certainly torn down not too long after my memories of it. But I had a lot of fun there, for being a little kid.
Last Edited by on Jul 27, 2012 10:27 AM
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donw
191 posts
Jul 27, 2012
10:35 AM
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Where exactly was the Yankee Tavern?
>> Yankee didn't go all the way through to Mad River like it does now.
I hesitate to correct anyone on an online forum (people get funny about that) but that is not 100% correct. I used to bike ride avidly from east Dayton down into Warren County in the mid 1970s, and one of my favorite routes was to take Yankee Street from the intersection with Mad River south, all the way into Warren county where the road changes names to "Clevenger-Crosley" Road. Now, it is possible that Yankee Street was temporarily closed or dead ended where it met the right of way of I-675 during the construction of that highway, which would have been in the early 1980s.
Minor roads back then had lots of little weird jogs. I really don't recall Yankee not being a straight shot. However, I do recall that Yankee may have had a jog/dogleg at Rt 725.
Last Edited by on Jul 27, 2012 10:37 AM
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blue J
56 posts
Jul 27, 2012
10:53 AM
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That could have been, yes. I just remember that Yankee and 725 was a three-way stop then- Yankee went south from 725 but not north, right in that spot.
The Yankee Tavern was on the east side of Yankee. If my memory serves me correctly, it was just about in line with where the Yankee Auto Bath is now, but set back a little further from Yankee St.
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tlturbo
376 posts
Jul 27, 2012
11:31 AM
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Donw - I have seen you mention Warren Co many times and wonder if you have much knowledge of the county history. I am trying to find some ancestors there and I am also trying to find a friend that owned a home on the river near Lebanon just down river from that high bridge.
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87 Buick GN
Last Edited by on Jul 27, 2012 11:32 AM
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olds88
11 posts
Jan 27, 2013
4:48 PM
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The 'Yankee tavern sat exactly where Lexus of dayton 'is now.Atone time Mr.haverstick from 'Jays'ran the property.
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Perry401
116 posts
Jan 30, 2013
9:34 PM
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I remember the Yankee Tavern, and thought it was sold to Bobby Rahal for a car dealership, which he then later sold. (Perhaps it was some other celebrity.)
I seem to remember there was some controversy about this land deal. I don't think people were expecting the new land owners to tear down the Yankee Tavern Building, but instead lease it or put their own restaurant in there. Many considered this a local landmark and practically a historical building.
The new auto dealership owner making some snide comment on TV news about how nothing over 25 years old was any good, and a place as old as the Yankee Tavern should have been pulled down years ago. He then bragged about how much better having an auto dealership there was than an old bar. This really angered many in Centerville, who were opposed to the demolition of the building in the first place, and some Centerville people I knew said they would never set foot in any business that sat on this property.
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rosewoodroyal83
25 posts
Feb 24, 2013
1:18 PM
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Did Yankee St jog at 725? That would explain a 3 way stop where Yankee Tavern was located. I thought that Yankee Tavern was on the west side of Yankee St. Hampton Inn - now a Best Western, is on the west side of old Yankee, Lexus of Dayton is on the East side of old Yankee. Regardless, 675 drastically changed the landscape there, many houses were lost to the highway and drainage runoffs.
Yankee was rerouted when 675 was built. Current Yankee is east of Old Yankee. Old Yankee is currently the side street between Lexus of Dayton and the hotel. Yankee Auto is well east of the old intersection.
Last Edited by rosewoodroyal83 on Feb 24, 2013 1:23 PM
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donw
255 posts
Feb 24, 2013
4:09 PM
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I used to go bicycle touring in that area in the mid 1970s and I would cut across 725 at Yankee Street. Yankee did indeed jog at 725.
Don't feel too bad about the Yankee Tavern, even though it was a huge loss to lose it. These big old historic commercial buildings are extremely difficult in this part of the US to cost-justify, and often the inflated property values make it virtually impossible to preserve the building intact for its original use. I posit that there's not enough sense of or respect for history around this region for most people to bother defending them, so if the land becomes like gold for an auto dealer it's game over. Once "bright and shiny new" suburbia grows around such buildings they usually get redeveloped as something generic.
Down south near Cincinnati, a similar building called 20 Mile House was going to be sold and torn down about a year ago for a stupid Speedway station ("our hot dogs have been on the steel rollers on the counter since last June... You have my word!" :) )
The only thing that prevented that sale was a traffic-flow/driveway situation for that particular parcel that caused the township to disallow the proposed use as a high volume gas station. That piece of real estate is so expensive that every restaurant that has tried to make it in that building has failed - the rent probably kills each place. Right now it's a white elephant searching for a new owner.
Unless some wealthy business or patron subsidized the building, or it became a regional park, Yankee Tavern would be in exactly the same spot today. With rent too overpriced to allow any business in it to prosper.
Last Edited by donw on Feb 24, 2013 4:26 PM
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olds88
87 posts
Feb 24, 2013
5:09 PM
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After Mr. haverstick sold the propertyor let lease expire some one had a unique idea to sell shares of ownership to some of the die hard cutomers and employees who wanted to try to keep it open Dont remember all the details but the guy left town with the money.
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Dave47
1 post
May 07, 2013
2:14 PM
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Well as I remember you went South on Yankee and stoppped at Mburg-Cville Road (725) and had to turn left, back towards Cville for about 10 feet then turn right on Yankee to continue South into Warren Co. The Yankee Tavern was appx where the Lexis Dealer is now as correctly referenced above. Jay Haverstick bought the property which had a red brick house and a big red barn on it. The red brick house was moved to a lot on Irongate Drive. It now sits on the North side of Irongate behind what was most recently the BP station that was formerly owned by Don Gerhardt. The red barn was reworked and became the Yankee Tavern. The YT stayed in business for about 8 years or so and Jay closed it to relocate to the Oregon District where Jays Restaurant is presently owned by his daughter Amy. Jay told me that trying to make that barn a restaurant was a big mistake. The heating and cooling costs were very costly as well the rest of the upkeep.It was a nice restaurant though and Jay served good food there and some very tasty gin and tonic medication.
Last Edited by Dave47 on May 07, 2013 2:15 PM
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