The old Barnard Tavern in Kennebunk came down Monday, earlier than planned, after the owners said they saw signs that the vacant building  was starting to collapse on its own. Owners Kari and Randy Gates obtained approvals from the Historic Preservation Commission earlier this year to deconstruct and reconstruct the tavern. Courtesy Photo by Jim Earl

KENNEBUNK – The old Barnard Tavern came down on Monday, earlier than planned.

Kari and Randy Gates had obtained approval to deconstruct and reconstruct the ailing structure from the Historic Preservation Commission back in January. They have been working on permitting  and other matters associated with the plan, Kari Gates said on Monday evening.

But a few days ago, they  saw signs that the tavern was coming down of its own accord, said Gates.

“We were planning on taking her down, but she started taking herself down,” said Gates. “A couple of days ago the chimney footings collapsed. It was so dangerous.”

So, a demolition permit was obtained from the town, and on Monday, the old tavern was taken down by an excavator.

The Gates had told the HPC in January that they planned to save as many features as possible during deconstruction, to use in reconstruction. Gates said they filled two, 40-foot storage containers with lumber and other construction materials from the original house.

The old tavern, built around 1792 by Joseph Barnard, has been through many hands since that time, and had been slated for demolition in 1975 after a fire. Barnard, who drove the first mail coach from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Portland in 1787, and later became Kennebunk’s second postmaster, operated a hotel there until his death in 1817. Subsequent owners ran it as a hotel; the property was farmed during the Civil War; and later became a family home. Following the fire, it was purchased by William Johnson, who lived in it as a single-family dwelling. He died in 2014, and the property has been vacant. The Gates’ bought it from a realty company in February 2021.

Barnard Tavern owner Kari Gates said the old tavern was showing signs of collapsing on its own a few days ago and so she obtained a demolition permit. It was taken down on Monday. The Gates’ obtained approvals to deconstruct and reconstruct the building in January. Photo courtesy of Kari Gates

Kennebunk voters a year ago agreed to negate the town’s right to enforce a deed restriction that had been placed on the property, unbeknownst to the town, by Jo Johnson, as trustee of the Johnson Property Trust. Johnson removed the deed restriction she herself held that had specified the building not be torn down following the HPC’s sanction of the deconstruction/reconstruction proposal.

On June 14, voters will act on a proposal to extend the Portland Road Mixed Use District to include the Barnard Tavern property. The Gates plan to return the property to an inn.

The Gates’ knew when they bought the tavern  it would take a lot to rehabilitate the building – but  learned of its true condition, and the fact there had been a fire, only after they bought it –  the damage was not visible until drywall and plaster were removed, Kari Gates said in a prior interview. And there were other problems.

A structural engineer then examined the property and noted some of the sills above the foundation were deteriorated in a location where the foundation was failing; the joists and beams on the second floor were deemed “grossly deficient” and incapable of supporting the intended use; the beams on the second floor were fire charred and the roof beams were deficient, among other issues.

The old Barnard Tavern Dan King photo

The Gates had been unable to make repairs to the tavern building after a stop work order was issued in 2021.

Gates said she is working to obtain permits associated with reconstruction and will shore up the barn, which had been attached to the tavern. It was repaired last year.

“It was a safety hazard,” said Gates of the recent signs she saw that the old tavern was beginning to collapse. “I’m glad no one got hurt.”