VERSAILLES — The Ripley County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly renovated Hassmer House in Versailles this week.
A Taco Tuesday theme and scratch margaritas were featured. Plus, all guests were entered into a raffle to win a free night at Hassmer House Inn and $50 off any room service package during that stay.
The historic Hassmer House in Versailles has been renovated and reopened to the public. This restaurant has been on the south side of the courthouse square for about 200 years.
According to owner Rachael VanArtsdalen, the building was erected around 1820. The Ripley County Historical Society has printed records showing the land on which the Hassmer House sets were first purchased in 1818 and that the building is believed to have been constructed around 1830 .
Over the years the building was used as a hotel, restaurant, saloon and even to house local prisoners in the 1860s. The building changed hands several times over the years and was most recently operated as the Yellow Dog Tavern and Eatery under the ownership of Danny Jackson.
Jackson listed the building around 2008, and it sat empty until the current owners negotiated its purchase in 2020.
VanArtsdalen has a history in real estate, and her husband David approached this purchase with a history in the culinary arts. He previously owned a food truck and restaurant in Dayton, Ohio.
The newly renovated Hassmer House is dedicated to a partnership between local farmers and citizens through a scratch kitchen. All dishes are prepared using only the freshest ingredients, meats and produce.
“Our desire to create a farm-to-table restaurant grew out of our passion for connecting area farmers to people in our community with fresh, local food,” Rachael said. “We believe that the strongest communities are those that can come together to support each other, and we saw this as a way that we could help achieve this goal. We saw the potential in this area and wanted to be part of its success.
Local farmers working with Hassmer House include God’s Country just outside Madison for beef, Napoleon Locker in Napoleon for pork, and Happy Flock Farms just outside Versailles for eggs.
Another local tie for the new restaurant was its long, train-style benches, which were designed by Iron Timbers of Osgood. Crafted from red oak, the two benches together measure nearly 50 feet in length!
The VanArtsdalens believe that success cannot be achieved without purpose and they are passionate about connecting farmers with people in the local community. They also offer craft cocktails, Indiana craft beers, and local wine.
House favorites include meatloaf and chicken pot pie.
The hostel section of the Hassmer House is nearing completion and will be bookable through AirBnB once complete. The Inn has a large bedroom, kitchenette, washer and dryer, and bathroom that includes a vintage clawfoot tub that comes with the building.
Maison Hassmer is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday each week. Reservations can be made on their website.
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