Burton Fox Inn, a historic building on the south side of Burton Square, may be destined to fade into history if the owner doesn't make…
Burton Fox Inn, a historic building on the south side of Burton Square, may be destined to fade into history if the owner doesn’t make repairs to the building.
Built about 180 years ago, the large structure has had a number of owners over the centuries but seen little human activity in the last seven years, said Burton Village Fiscal Officer Chris Paquette.
The owner, Charles Imars, who has a post office box in the village, has owned the restaurant and bar since 2009, according to the Geauga County Auditor’s website.
Imars was contacted by the Geauga County Building Department in September and told he needs to make repairs on the inn or have it razed.
“It’s up to him,” said Chief Building Official Mike Mihalisin, adding Imars has received certified letters telling him to take action, but has not responded.
Something needs to be done because the building is deteriorating, he said.
“The building is in disrepair. It hasn’t had any heat in it,” he said.
There is a hole in the roof, the eves are open to the weather and the
raccoons and rodents have taken over, Paquette said.
Some may remember the inn as a neighborhood watering hole, but that memory took on a new meaning last winter when the deep freeze hit.
The fire suppression system ruptured filling the basement with water, Mihalisin said.
“That’s what started everything,” he said.
Built on five acres around 1834 by James Peiffer, the building doubled as his home and the post office for the area, said Linda Mattern, a volunteer at Century Village Museum in Burton.
The Pioneer’s History of Geauga County traces the inn’s origins to being part of a larger tract of land called Ye Olde Homestead, owned by Hiram Russell before Peiffer bought 5 acres, she said.
Today, the lot is 1.28 acres and has a market value of $326,600, according to the auditor’s website. It has served as an inn for travelers, and most recently, a tavern for local residents.
At this point, an adjudication order has been issued and Imars has until Nov. 30 to take action. If he doesn’t, the matter will go to the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office, Mihalisin said.
