Rebuilt Kaufman House brings new life to Zelie
ZELIENOPLE — “You say, 'Zelienople,' and people think 'Kaufman House.' You say 'Kaufman House' and people think, 'Zelienople,'” Pat Boylan said, walking amid a bevy of plumbers, painters, carpenters and construction crews buzzing to make deadlines on the historic landmark's imminent reopening.
Boylan, new owner to the 116-year-old, 12,000-square-foot Main Street icon, restored the building as a multiple-commerce town hub.
“I'm looking forward to getting this baby in operation,” Boylan said May 9, the day of preliminary safety inspections. “I've had a lot of sleepless nights. But my favorite part of this building … is this whole building.”
Built in 1903 and once a 37-room hotel, in most recent memory, only the first floor was used for the restaurant until a kitchen fire shut it down in 2011.
In it's new state, the ground floor will once again house a restaurant. The plan is to carry on the Kaufman House name and menu, but owners of another restaurant will be the managers. That portion will open this summer.The second floor will be a banquet hall with retail and office space, managed by Boylan.The third floor will be the regional office for a marketing firm.And the basement is open to entrepreneurs looking to offer products complementary to the restaurant.The Kaufman House's renovation incorporates hints of the building's history, including some original woodwork and flooring, some open brick walls and a glimpse of an original fireplace as well as preservation of the Main Street facing balcony.
Otherwise, it's nearly a new structure having been gutted and re-walled, rewired, re-plumbed … basically, rebuilt.Boylan, already owner of a number of historic buildings including the Kaufman House's sister structure, the former Evans City Hotel in Evans City, said even he underestimated the effort it would take to renovate the Kaufman House.It took six months, he said, just to strip walls and sinks out of the upper floor's former hotel rooms.“I knew there would be headaches. But I didn't realize the number of problems we would face,” Boylan said.Aaron Rieger, owner of R&R Construction, the general contractor, said until the old plaster walls came down, planners didn't know what was behind them.
“Over the years, they had done a lot of small repairs without considering structural integrity,” Rieger said. “We'd been playing it by ear, and didn't know how much damage was done until we took out the walls and ceiling.”Rieger said Boylan “took the effort to make sure everything was done right. This building will last another 100 years.”Community centerpieceBoylan's eyes light up as he talks about his love of community.And, he said, the darkened doors at the Kaufman House had a negative ripple.“This was hurting the town. No doubt about it,” Boylan said. “The Kaufman House is an anchor to this town.”Even prior to the fire, Boylan had an interest in the building's future.
“I talked to the (owners, the) Palurski family. We bounced some discussion off the wall a few times. They really deserve a lot of credit for keeping this building in use a long as they did,” Boylan said. “It needed a lot of work. After the fire, we talked again. (Ken Palurski) wasn't sure what he was going to do.“He would have loved to get back in business. But at his age, he wasn't prepared to stick his neck out for the debt it would take to get the building back into usable condition.”In 2015, the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau purchased the building, and put together a $2.5 million plan to reopen it as a boutique hotel and restaurant.That plan didn't work out. And in 2017, Zelienople used a portion of state grant money it had earmarked to further the tourism bureau's concept to instead purchase the building and do some exterior work.“We had to take a risk and buy that building,” said Don Pepe, borough manager. “The whole building was going into disrepair. And when the tourism bureau's plan sort of fell through, we were worried it would get so bad that it would have to be demolished.“There wasn't care taken over 100 years. We later determined 60 percent of the building's structural integrity was compromised.”Initially, the borough teamed up with Boylan on the repairs, cutting a deal that would get the work done. Boylan would be responsible for repaying the borough its share of the renovation costs over 15 years.
Instead, Boylan repaid the borough by May, and council officially voted to sell him the building.“We are whole and no tax money was used,” said Pepe, who noted the risk had rewards. “This building is iconically important. It brings in people and economic growth. It makes the whole town thrive.”The Kaufman House restoration coupled with the borough's ongoing revitalization effort and Main Street project has spurred current business owners to reinvest and newcomers to take stock.“We have three new restaurants opening this summer,” Pepe said. “We are really excited, and the Kaufman House was a huge component of the overall strategy. Economically, iconically and emotionally … a lot of people are tied to that building. It is important.”Similarly, Jack Cohen of the tourism bureau called the renovation, “welcome by everyone in this region, not just Butler County.”Cohen said Boylan's finished product was built using some of the bureau's initial plans.“We're glad they did it. It's an iconic landmark we are fortunate to have saved,” Cohen said. “They used our model, and it is exactly the way we would want it.”Boylan said for him, the project has been two years of work utilizing, but revising, the bureau's original architectural drawings.Updates to the building include new windows, an elevator and emergency stair towers to the structure and reinforcement beams to stabilize the balcony.Rieger said his favorite part of the renovation is the previously sealed grand staircase. Original woodwork was saved where possible, Rieger said, and where the rails no longer met code, Boylan had exact replicas manufactured.“It's beautiful,” Rieger said.Already, Boylan said, people are inquiring about renting the banquet hall, filling the available office and retail space and a concert was planned for the balcony.Preserving the past
In addition to the Kaufman House, Boylan has restored the Evans City Hotel with co-owners Ed and Audrey Smith. That building, a smaller replica of the Kaufman House, is the offices of District Court Judge Wayne Seibel.Boylan, a longtime area funeral director, also bought and restored the old Spang mansion on Evans City Road in Connoquenessing Township in 2010. It's now a funeral home.And in 2008, Boylan preserved the Baldinger's Food From All Nations store by purchasing its circa-1933 Cranberry Township market and re-creating an exact replica just south of Zelienople.So what is it about regional history that intrigues Boylan?“Nothing. I'm not a history buff,” he said. “I'm all about preserving our communities. I like to restore old buildings that are vital to the community.”Boylan said Zelienople is a worthwhile investment, with its quaint charm and easy access to major transportation routes.He complimented the borough's revitalization efforts, noting the park was upgraded and the community is once again attracting boutiques and events.“Zelienople is becoming THE place in the north,” Boylan said. “We have good food, good people, you feel safe … I would suggest to anybody looking to locate: get on board.”
