Sisters: Jennifer Valenzuela and Adrienne Molnar In December 2014, Jennifer Valenzuela and her family made the decision to purchase Granville’s Buxton Inn. Valenzuela, her husband, her brother and her father were already in the renovations business, Valenzuela serving as an interior designer. They were in search of a project that had meaning, and would diversify their resumes. The Granville community was concerned with finding a buyer who would honor the inn’s original beauty and uniqueness, but had faith in Valenzuela and her family. “You have to think of the people who came before us,” Valenzuela says. “They took the time to preserve this building, so we really owe it to the people who put in the hard work years before us. It’s an honor for my family to be able to own and operate this inn – to care for it and restore it.”
Bryn Du Art Center & Licking County Arts Bryn Du Art Center in Granville offers plenty for art lovers both young and old. Here, you can find local art exhibitions along with a plethora of art classes. Create your own oil painting, or spend date night creating art together. If you’re looking to buy or browse art with a local touch, members of Licking County Arts sell their original artwork at the LCA Gallery and gift shop as well as at monthly art shows.
Valenzuela describes the Buxton Inn as a “living history museum.” Guests can gaze out of the same windows as Abraham Lincoln, one of the inn’s more famous guests, or walk up the same staircase as the weary travelers who sought out rooms more than 200 years ago. During the renovation, Valenzuela says they uncovered the original ledger Lincoln signed.
Tom Atha Tom Atha, owner of Earthwork Recording Studio, purchased Thirty One West’s space and took on a massive renovation project to transform it into what it is today: Newark’s newest spot to watch local and national talent perform. It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary.
“We have one opportunity to save our historic spaces and keep them vibrant,” Atha says. Thirty One West’s space was originally an early 1900s dance hall. “As great as our new development spaces are, there is a connection to the past when you visit our historic spaces.” While searching for a space for his new project, Atha says he and his team looked at small coffee shops and similar spaces. But 31 W. Church St. is what caught his eye. “It was clear what the space was intended for,” Atha says. “In the past it was a ballroom turned furniture showroom, but really, it was meant to bring people together.”
“This was Granville’s first business,” Valenzuela says. “Statewide, it’s a part of our history.”
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2017 travel magazine
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