SALEM – The White Oak Tea Tavern officially opens in its new Salem location Monday morning. The popular Troutville spot is moving its operations to Preston Place, the oldest home in the City of Salem.
Dr. Esther Clark Brown, one of the first female physicians in the Roanoke Valley and a descendant of the Preston family, was the last person to live in Preston Place. Her family donated the home, built in 1821, to the Salem Museum and Historical Society in 2014.Â
"We believe that the beams came from an even older structure that dates back to the 1700s," says Fran Ferguson the Executive Director of the Salem Museum and Historical Society. "It's a house that saw Davy Crockett and President Andrew Jackson and the future king of France stay there as they traveled through Salem."
The White Oak Tea Tavern was previously housed in a historic log cabin in Troutville. The owner of the tavern, Kim Arney, says this new location gives her the opportunity to expand the kitchen and dining areas.
"It's so exciting to be in Salem," says owner, Kim Arney. "We are so appreciative to the Salem Historical Society, the Brown family and all of the volunteers who have worked out in the yard. It's turned out beautiful. This is a dream come true."
A ribbon-cutting will take place at 9 a.m. The White Oak Tea Tavern is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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