Welcome! From the Friends of Historic Grooms Tavern

Communities throughout our country have benefited from the development of local historic and cultural centers. They are the centers of information about our heritage, and provide an atmosphere for successful educational, family, and community events. Grooms Tavern, built back in 1820, has served as the center of activity in Clifton Park for generations. Centrally located within the geographic boundaries of the town, the 180-year-old structure has been home to a general store, a stop-over place along major regional transportation arteries, a tavern, and a public meeting place ... actually serving as the site of the first Town Board meeting back in the spring of 1828. It is a natural location for the town to develop its historical center, and to commit resources to the restoration of the facility into a place of community once again for future generations.

The Tavern circa 1920

Incorporated as a not-for-profit organization, and separately chartered by the New York State Education Department, the Friends of Historic Grooms Tavern serves as the manager and caretaker of this special place in the Town of Clifton Park, New York. The property is actually owned by the Town of Clifton Park. The Friends group shall focus its attentions on the implementation of the restoration development plan, write grants and undertake fund raising events to raise funds toward these purposes, and serve as the stewards of the property on into the future. Included in this stewardship role is the development and oversight of policies and procedures governing its use for public purposes, scheduling events, employing staff, and ensuring its long-term maintenance.

Ed Klingbeil

Purchased from private owners by the town in late 1999, the Historic Grooms Tavern was in a state of grave disrepair requiring significant and swift actions if the site was to be successfully rehabilitated as a meaningful center of community activities. In the winter months of the year 2000, twelve residents of the town came together as appointees of the Town Board to develop a restoration plan for the tavern property. Included on the almost 1.5 acre site was the principal tavern building and a carriage house. As a first step in restoring the property, a comprehensive documentation study was undertaken by one of the region's notable historic architectural restoration firms, which was followed by a complete historic structure report to guide the work of the committee. With these reports in hand, immediate emergency measures were taken to ensure the structural integrity of the structures and to provide suitable security mechanisms. With the development plan now clearly articulated, and the immediate structural upgrades in place, the committee then turned its attention to implementation of the plan, on-going fund raising needs, and a long-term stewardship mechanism.

To this end, the Friends of Historic Grooms Tavern came into being.