Article courtesy of Bucks County Magazine

Riverside Retreat Transformation

By Beth S. Buxbaum

For 43 years Wayne and Linda Masters owned and operated Llama Mama Good Farm and CSA from their 1836 farmhouse in Marlboro, New Jersey. In addition to growing the crops they housed a variety of farm animals, including llamas. A few years ago they decided to look for a summer home and began exploring properties in Bucks County. New Hope was a top choice. With its close proximity to their Marlboro home they were comfortable with the travel time. Both were familiar with the area since they used to bike the Delaware Canal path in the 1990s. Wayne and Linda began looking and eventually found just the right property for their summer home. In 2017 they purchased this charming, renovated Bucks County home that sits along the Delaware River and backs up to the historic Delaware Canal and Towpath.

After appreciating the beauty and calm of their to their New Hope retreat for a few years, Wayne and Linda began to reflect on their decision to have a summer home. With the realization that the farm was getting to be too much, they decided it was time to make a permanent change. “We are getting older and it was becoming more challenging since we did all the work on the farm ourselves,” Linda explains.  In addition to the farm, Wayne also owned a chain of The Game Room Stores. They came to the conclusion that they wanted to retire and live here year-round. After selling the farm, they handed over The Game Room Store chain to their kids to run. With all these plans in place, their thoughts turned to their New Hope residence.

Wayne and Linda were excited to start a new chapter together. In preparation for their permanent move to New Hope, they wanted to make some changes to the house. Wayne interviewed several contractors to redesign some of the living space. He selected Daryl Rost, of Rost Artisan Design Build, for his unique and creative craftsmanship and skill. This project would be their forever home. Daryl’s characterization is that this is their “feet first house,” with the reference that they will be carried out feet first. With that thought in mind Wayne and Linda began to consider how they wanted to re-style their new home.

The original 1790 two-room structure has had several renovations throughout the years that have transformed the home. What is now the core of the house was the result of an addition built in 1900.  Documentation and personal accounts have noted that the original 1790 structure was, at one time, a studio for New Hope Impressionist Edward Redfield. Wayne and Linda are intrigued with the house’s history and are always gleaning new information. They were aware of the area’s history of flooding. Wayne mentions that they have first-hand knowledge about how the 1955 flood ravaged the house. Their neighbor’s grandfather used to live in the house.  He relayed to Wayne and Linda the story his grandfather shared with him and a few photos of the house after the storm. An entire face of the house was torn off and the house was floors deep in high waters from the overflow of the Delaware River.

As a matter of fact, Daryl’s inspection revealed extensive damage with rotting wood and insect damage from all the flooding over the years. Daryl suggested they lift the house to protect the property from flooding. He orchestrated this with a huge hydraulic lift that raised the entire house by 13- and–a-half feet. “We lifted the house in stages, he adds. This was an amazing production to witness, according to Wayne, as he describes how the entire front of the house was removed temporarily for the lift. Daryl explains that he had to create a new foundation and then put back the original 1790 section on the first floor. From all the damage, it was necessary to create new floor structures. Wayne and Linda witnessed the entire project from the lift to the renovations from their temporary residence next to the house. An old mule barn on the property was gutted and transformed into a cottage for the Wayne and Linda to live in while their house was renovated. This structure now functions as a garage and guest cottage.

In 2020 the planning stages were in full swing with Daryl Rost at the helm. Once all the damage was addressed the renovation began from floor to floor. Lifting the house created a new first floor and shifted the original floors. Daryl had some open space to define. He expanded and re-designed these rooms while maintaining the basic footprint on the other levels. “I did the whole design process with Wayne and Linda,” Daryl explains, “to make sure I understood what they wanted.” What drew them to this house were the open footprint and the many floor-to-ceiling windows affording them endless views of the river and landscape. Even with a prior owner’s renovations there were some aesthetic and structural changes on their to-do list. Expanding space was the goal to satisfy Wayne and Linda’s desire for a more natural and airy flow. In Daryl’s artistic style he also suggested a few original, custom features to add a unique touch to several of the rooms.

On the new first level, Daryl repurposed part of the original 1790 two room structure to be a workshop and garage. In another area of the first floor, the remaining space was transformed into a guest bedroom suite. Evidence of the original 1790 structure is a wall constructed with cement and river pebbles that was an exterior wall. The bathroom is finished with an enclosed walk-in shower accented with a pebbled floor and striking black onyx glass walls with veins of earth tones. Covering one wall is an expansive counter topped with onyx. For the first level much of the footprint was untouched while creating an entirely new space.

The second level, formerly the first floor that housed the oil burner and water filtration system, was completely redone. Daryl suggested that they stretch their imaginations in this area. “I prompted them to come up with something that they would each enjoy,” Daryl adds.

After designing a new entranceway Daryl responded to their suggestions and added two new spaces. The entry opens with a bar and game room for Wayne. In one corner of this space is the wet bar with a quartz top illuminated with red lights. Daryl finished the cabinets with a metal coating, one of his signature applications. Against an adjacent wall is one side of a two-sided metal enclosed fireplace. Wayne filled this game room with his favorite collection pieces including a pinball machine, jukebox and barber’s chair.

Transitioning from the game room is a newly designed hallway leading to the next area. This custom room is Linda’s new laundry and sewing room accented with Bucks County soapstone counters and sink. At the end of the hallway is a powder room finished with white tile walls and a floating vessel sink and shelf that Daryl fashioned from an old piece of wood.

Flowing to the left of this section is an expansive two-story living room with an imposing Palladian window. This room has walls of floor-to-ceiling windows for endless views of the river and beyond. One feature that was in the original living room was a huge stone fireplace with big boulders. “They could not lift the fireplace,” adds Wayne, “so it never made it to the second floor.” In its place Daryl built a two-sided fireplace encased in a recessed metal box to protect the big screen television. Another feature that Daryl suggested was to install an elevator on this level with a window to observe the change in the structural levels of the house. Beyond the living room is the main bedroom suite. For a more rustic feel Daryl covered the focus wall with reclaimed mushroom wood. “I designed this room to appear to be part of the original 1790 house,” Daryl adds. Part of this space is a new bathroom finished with an enclosed walk-in shower with a pebbled floor and striking white onyx walls with lines of earth tones. A finishing touch is the addition of a terrace overlooking the river.

For the third floor the renovations were the most extensive. On this level the kitchen, dining area and breakfast nook were redone. Daryl added a cathedral ceiling to this floor for a more ethereal feel. The dimensions of the dining area were expanded to float out and overlook the two-story living room. From the dining area you have a spectacular view of the river through the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows. A total renovation of the kitchen added a custom center island topped with zebra wood. A wall of white cabinetry complements the space and is blended with a unique white onyx backsplash above the stove. An entire wall of white cabinetry contrasts well with the Bucks County soapstone countertops and sink. Along the right wall of this expansive room is a beehive-oven-inspired fireplace with a live edge walnut mantel. Tucked into the rear of this level is the breakfast nook and coffee station. Another interesting feature of this space is a custom floating spiral staircase leading to the loft, which is a cozy sitting area.

From the loft to the first floor guest bedroom, this home’s interior has been artistically altered, adding features and accents for a more contemporary feel. Transformations have also occurred on the exterior. To fully appreciate the setting of their property from the outside, Daryl built a series of multi-level decks with unobstructed views of the river and lots of opportunities for relaxing or entertaining. In the front of the house they built a brick patio surrounded by a stone wall and terraced landscaping with groupings of foliage and flowers. From the total house lift to the final touches, each detail added to an overall refresh. Renovations took two years to complete. Wayne and Linda moved into the house in October of 2022. Whether cozy or grand, Wayne and Linda enjoyed Daryl’s input and artistic flare during the extensive transformation of their home. Daryl’s use of natural and reclaimed materials and his creative applications add another level in his design process.

Wayne and Linda are basking in all the interior natural light as they take in the views just a few steps from their front door. Relaxed and content, they take many strolls along the towpath enjoying the crisp fall breezes and the palette of fall colors dotting their landscape.

Beth S. Buxbaum is a freelance writer from the Philadelphia area.

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Bucks County Magazine

by Bob Waite

In 2012 real estate broker Todd McCarty noticed that the Doylestown Inn was in foreclosure. He put in a bid for the property for one of his clients. The client eventually backed out and Todd showed the building to a few more clients. Soon he realized the building would be a good investment for him and several family members. The property needed a lot of work.

Daryl Rost, president of Rost Artisan Design Build and an old friend of Todd’s from high school and who has done work in the past for some of his clients, seemed the perfect person to do this restoration. The first thing to do was to get the hotel up and running and then build a completely new restaurant.

Daryl enlisted the help of his talented wife Shannon to provide design themes and ideas that would both keep them on budget and make this restaurant a beautiful and winsome space. As Shannon puts it, “I wanted the whole project to be approachable for the person coming in on a business trip, a couple celebrating their anniversary, as well as those who want to go out to breakfast with their kids.”

The building had to be stripped to its bones and the old flooring had to be torn out. It needed a vision and Shannon had one almost immediately, “I walked into the building and it spoke to me. It needed to be remembered for what it once was.” And it was many things, a restaurant, a hattery, a cigar store, a speakeasy and a bar called Jug In The Wall.

Shannon looked at the basement, which was a speakeasy during prohibition and where the Jug In The Wall bar once drew local patrons and hotel guests. “I walked downstairs and it actually looked like a 1990s boardroom. What the previous owners had done to it was sad,” she says.

To give the space a speakeasy look, Daryl found a 1934 Buick. He cut off the side of the car and made it a part of the bar. Daryl proudly states, “The headlights and turn signals work.”  On the top of the bar is the tail of an old Chevy pickup, with a stack of lumber on top. In bootlegging days, Daryl says, the bootleggers used trucks to move and wood to hide their liquor. So bottles of liquor are inside and on top of the stack, and when the tailgate comes down there is more liquor to be served. Beneath the truck are beer taps connected to an axle that Daryl milled in his machine shop. Shannon used unicycle bar seats because of Todd’s fondness for bicycles.

The mural on the wall behind the bar shows scenes of actual customers that frequented the Jug In The Wall. Shannon says, “I had to pay homage to the people who once hung out there.” There is also a sliding speakeasy door.

The upstairs bar pays homage to the Hattery by having overhead lights in fixtures that are made using antique hats. The bar is made to look like a riveted airplane wing, symbolizing travel. Antique crates are seen under the bar.

To get items such as suitcases for a wall of suitcases, cigar boxes for a ceiling, hats for light fixtures and to hang on the two-story tree involved trips to Brimfield Massachusetts Antiques Markets. They also received help from friends and family who availed the couple of their collections, garages and attics.

“The tree is symbolic of growing from old to new,” says Shannon, whose concept was made a reality by Daryl using the wood from the original flooring that he nailed to a metal frame. The four hats that hang on the tree pay homage to the four owners of the inn. The tree rises majestically from the basement floor to the first floor ceiling.

The chandeliers hanging in the restaurant are not permanent, since they are for sale. In a mutually beneficial deal, Joy at Light World in Feasterville placed the lamps in the restaurant for sale, thus having an extra showroom while The Hattery gets beautiful chandeliers.

A partition in the restaurant is made from windows, and the mirrors seen all over the restaurant are made with mirror glass and frames for art that was left there by the previous owners. Seats in the restaurant are covered with coffee sacks and some with drop cloths on which paint was spilled strategically. The tabletops are made from barn wood that is painted. Red is a color used almost everywhere.

Daryl Rost’s work on the hotel is continuing. So far, the rooms were upgraded with more modern amenities and the number of room expanded from 11 to 14. By June, Todd estimates, three more rooms will be finished.

When entering The Hattery, there is flow, a kind of funky, yet classy ambience. Descending into the basement is like traveling back in time. Shannon is convinced that the building is at peace with itself.

The Hattery Stove and Still is located at the Doylestown Inn on 18 W. State Street, Doylestown, PA. For more information about Rost Artisan Design Build, visit www.rostartisan.com.

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Builder Daryl Rost, of Rost Artisan Design Build in Upper Black Eddy, used shou sugi ban, a Japanese technique of burning wood to create a unique finish, throughout the restaurant. He said it’s not only attractive, it’s also resistant to all types of weather and insects. Rost also used bi-folding glass walls that open to the street, from the front of the first-floor dining room, where radiant heated flooring will offer warmth in cold weather.

While the project faced its share of challenges — including the need to protect the building’s historic nature and meet borough requirements that didn’t permit the front exterior to be structurally altered — and took more time than Frank originally envisioned, he said, sometimes waiting can produce a better design in the end.

“We were constantly stretching our minds. The more time you have to reflect on what a new project could look like can be a benefit,” said the Doylestown Borough resident and businessman.

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Industrial Kitchen Island

Make sure there is ample room between your counters and your industrial kitchen island. This makes the space workmanlike and is very important to the achieving the industrial style effectively.

When it comes to the materials used to make the kitchen island, raw materials work great. Consider using rustic timbers for siding. For the surface, dark granite or neutral low gloss granite look great.

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Love letters come in different forms.

Five Bucks County business partners are penning their love letter to Doylestown in the form of a restaurant. The team is turning the historic Doylestown Inn on West State Street into a two-level bistro called The Hattery Stove & Still.

Todd McCarty and his partners purchased the building in late 2012 with the intent of rejuvenating the inn and returning it as a cornerstone of Doylestown.  Upon purchasing the property and doing further research, McCarty said it was evident the inn is “certainly a centerpiece of Doylestown that just wasn’t properly utilized.”

That will change come April, when the former 11-room inn is restored and reopens as a 150-seat bar and restaurant serving New American cuisine.

“This is a bit of a love letter to Doylestown,” said spokesman Peter Breslow, who is handling publicity for the endeavor.

“The whole goal is to take the building back to what it was,” explained McCarty, who is partnering with Samantha McCarty, Donna Isgate, Ronald Isgate and Jody Quigley to revamp the historic building.

The Doylestown Inn opened in 1902 but the building itself was once home to a hattery, a cigar shop and even operated as a speakeasy during prohibition

Customers who dine there will be treated to a feast for the eyes as well as their stomachs.

The new owners and their design team have spent months scouring flea markets and yard sales looking for unique items that will transport customers back to the early 1900s.

The inside of the restaurant will feature a number of intriguing elements, from the bar design all the way down to the floorboards. The lobby level bar is constructed from wooden beverage boxes from the early 20^th century. The lower level bar is made from a 1932 Oldsmobile.

Customers will walk along reclaimed pumpkin pine floorboards, plus there will be a wall of vintage suitcases, a player piano, an antique still, period photos and even a speakeasy-style side door complete with a sliding peep hole.  A custom made two-story hat tree will anchor the inside and serve as an artistic centerpiece.

Husband and wife duo Daryl Rost and Shannon O’Neil McGuire-Rost of Rost Artisan Design Build are carrying out the design, which is described as antique industrial.

“It was important to all of us to build a destination for Doylestown that celebrates the town’s rich history. We’re even building a jug into one of the walls to pay tribute to the Jug In The Wall — a tavern that opened with the inn in 1902,” said McGuire-Rost.

The Hattery is in the process of hiring a chef. Plans are to serve brunch seven days a week, as well as lunch, dinner, afternoon tea and even late-night fare.  “We think it’s going to be a pretty vibrant part of the community,” said Breslow.

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The Doylestown Inn is alive again.

If you’ve lived in Bucks County for 10 or more years, you know that the Doylestown Inn on State Street has been kind of quiet. That’s about to change.

The Hattery Stove & Still, an upscale yet comfy restaurant, is opening on May 27, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and a late-night menu 7 days a week. Once again, the Inn will be alive with good food, good spirits and good vibes, all thanks to a group of friends and business partners who had vision.

“The building chose us,” says Todd McCarty, who with his wife, Samantha McCarty, and business partners, Donna and Ronald C. Isgate, Esq. and Jody Quigley bought the Doylestown Inn in 2012. Initially, the plan was to sell the building, but they couldn’t. So they set about restoring the Inn, first by renovating the eleven guest rooms in March 2013.

But what about the restaurant? “The Inn kind of skipped a decade,” explains Todd McCarty. “The previous owners did all the mechanical stuff but they took out the bar and restaurant. The Inn had a long history of food and drink and it was time to bring that back.”
Booth at Hattery Stove & Still; photo credit Lynne Goldman

The building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was erected in the late 19th century and opened as The Doylestown Inn in 1902. “When we researched the property’s history we found that the building housed a hattery, a cigar shop, served as an inn, and operated as a speakeasy during prohibition,” explains Isgate.

“We decided to celebrate everything that this property has been throughout its life,” adds Shannon O’Neil McGuire-Rost, who with her husband, Daryl Rost, conceived the restaurant’s concept and oversaw the renovation. “It was important to all of us to build a destination for Doylestown that celebrates the town’s rich history. We’ve even built a jug into one of the walls to pay tribute to the Jug In The Wall — a tavern that opened with the inn in 1902 and operated until the late 1990s.”

The bi-level restaurant can seat 150, but it doesn’t feel that big. It is full of intimate, smaller spaces that feel cozier. The décor is “antique industrial,” honoring the history of the building with period pieces. The pumpkin pine floorboards are reclaimed wood. Look for an antique still, a collection of burlap coffee bags, a wall of vintage suitcases, dozens of cigar boxes, a player piano, a collection of period photos from around the region dating back over a hundred years, a circa 1920 ice chest, a “speakeasy” side door complete with sliding peep hole, and a custom-designed hat tree that rises from the lower level floor boards and spans two stories, adorned with vintage hats.

You’ll also see vintage hats, converted into lights, hanging over the lobby level bar. As you walk down the steps to the lower level, read the chalkboards covering the walls, with quotes from Bucks County luminaries, like James Michener and Pearl S. Buck. And check out the 1932 Oldsmobile complete with suicide doors in the design of the lower level bar. My favorite touch is the antique chandeliers which light the lobby level space. Each sports a price tag because you buy them.

Hakeem OtenigbagbeThe menu is fun too. Chef Hakeem Otenigbagbe and sous chef Andrew Douglas have crafted a menu they call “Modern American Tavern” as another nod to the site’s history. This is not your average tavern food, though.

For appetizers, try the Hot Potato Chips with Blue Cheese Fondue, Beer Battered String Beans and Trumpets, Deviled Eggs with Dijon Cayenne, or Wild Mushroom Toast with Chive Goat Cheese. For starters, you can choose the Golden Beet Terrine, Scottish Salmon Tartare, or the Grilled Octopus Confit (don’t worry; there’s a really delicious-looking Chopped Salad for those of you who want something a little more sedate).

Even the burgers and sandwiches are full of interesting twists. The Deluxe Burger comes on a brioche bun with tomato compote, shallot mustard marmalade and herb fries. There is also an Ahi Tuna Burger and Chipotle Shrimp Tacos.

For entrees, you’ve got some tough choices. The Chicken Pot Pie with a cheddar biscuit top, caught my eye, as did the Vegetable Bipimbap, a dish that I have only had in a Korean restaurant. One of chef Otenigbagbe’s specialties is the Steam Skate, served with fennel puree, hearts of palm, green and white asparagus, black trumpet mushroom and a gooseberry saffron sauce. For more fish, try the Crisp Skin Scottish Salmon or Grilled Branzino.

For the carnivores, there is a Grilled Filet Mignon, Lamb Chops and a Strip Steak. And even the pasta looks great:  Three Cheese Ravioli with wild mushroom, plum tomato sauce, pecorino and marjoram and a Tagliatelle black pasta with shellfish, celery, cherry tomato, crumbled garlic bread, and a Pernod sauce.

For the inspiration behind the menu, look to executive chef Otenigbagbe (pron: O-ten-a-bob-ey). The thirty-four year old chef emigrated from Nigeria to New York with his family when he was 11 years old. After attending the French Culinary Institute in 2004, Otenigbagbe spent a year working for Thomas Keller at Per Se in Manhattan in 2005. After departing Per Se, he joined Chef Tom Colicchio at Craftsteak in New York, and then became a private chef until 2009 when he moved to Philadelphia to join Union Trust as a Sous Chef and then Chef de Cuisine. Until recently, he has been commuting to New York to work for BR Guest Hospitality while living in Philadelphia with his family.

What does he think of Doylestown? “This place is perfect. Everyone knows each other and it’s so family-oriented,” Otenigbagbe says. He’s also looking forward to locally sourcing  ingredients for the restaurant.

For the bar flies among you, you’re going to enjoy the Signature Cocktail menu and the 14 draught beer taps in the lower level bar filled with good American craft beer.

You may also recognize some of the bar and wait staff. General Manager Cherri Horsman has recruited some of the best restaurant professionals in the area. At the opening party last night, this was clearly evident. The staff was attentive, friendly and professional. Although it was the first time the restaurant was in full gear, everything worked smoothly and everyone was pleasant.

As we made our way out, folks were standing out in front of the Inn, talking and enjoying the spring evening. There was a buzz, and I thought, how nice to see this sidewalk alive again. I’m sure the spirits of the Doylestown Inn past were also pretty pleased.

The Hattery Stove & Still
18 W. State Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
PH: 215.345.6610
Facebook: Hattery-Stove-Still
Twitter: HatteryDtown

See the HatteryDinnerMenu here.
See the HatteryDrinkMenu here.

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The new owners of the historic Doylestown Inn will open a new restaurant and bar next month.

Doylestown Inn coming back with the Hattery Stove & Still

By Michael Klein, Philly.com

A year and a half after buying Bucks County’s landmark Doylestown Inn (18 W. State St.), partners are preparing to open a 150-seat American bistro on the ground floor called The Hattery Stove & Still.

Todd and Samantha McCarty, Donna and Ronald C. Isgate, and Jody Quigley retained Ed Doherty of One Degree Hospitality, the restaurant consultant who opened and ran such downtown projects as Capital Grille, The Waterworks, and Union Trust Steakhouse, to find a chef and set up the operation. It was last known as The Inn on State Street.

They target April for the opening.

The look by Rost Artisan Design Build is being described as “antique industrial,” and plays off earlier uses of the property, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. In its 110 years, the inn has also been a hattery, a cigar shop, and speakeasy during Prohibition. (Which explains why they’re building a jug into one of the walls – a longtime tavern on the property was called the Jug In the Wall.)

Rost decorated with antique-market finds such as reclaimed pumpkin pine floorboards, an antique still, a collection of burlap coffee bags (yes, people apparently collect such things), a wall of vintage suitcases, dozens of cigar boxes, a player piano, a collection of period photos from around the region dating back more than 100 years, a circa-1920 ice chest, a “speakeasy” side door with sliding peep hole.

Design wow will be a hat tree that rises from the lower level floor boards and spans two stories. It will be adorned with vintage hats.

A lobby level bar includes a base constructed from wooden beverage boxes from the early 20th century and a bar top containing rivets reminiscent of an antique aircraft wing. A lower level bar uses a 1932 Oldsmobile, complete with suicide doors, in the design, along with 16 beer taps for American crafts.

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