Brendan Murray
The local historic Newtown staple formerly known as The Inn at Newtown has recently been purchased and is being renovated into a new restaurant named Marigold’s On Main. The building itself has been around since 1850 but the space has been sitting vacant since early 2016 and has caught the eye of many. The task is being taken on by an experienced team of resturanteers and entrepreneurs, Clark and Kate Nuegold, Matt Stanczak, Dale Barton, Dan Teranovich, Susi Stone, and Russell Barton.
Clark and Kate Nuegold are owners of the local restaurant the Foundry Kitchen and Tavern. Head chef and owner Clark, has been working in restaurants ever since the age of 15. His cooking experiences have taken him to some of the most famous food destinations in the country spanning from Hawaiii to Charleston. Nuegold has perfected his craft in almost every variety of cuisine with brunch, Asian, and Italian.
Nuegold was approached by Russell Barton and has since fallen in love with the old historic building. Since the layout is so big a lot can be done with the space.
“So it’s gonna be a restaurant, a really amazing wedding venue, and in the basement were gonna run a separate operation… it’s gonna be a really cool pizza shop and a cellar bar,” food and beverage manager/ event coordinator Clark Nuegold said.
The Inn has a lot of rich history, being built in the 1820s. It was home to the Newtown famous philanthropist Mary Hawley. Renovations in 1871 doubled the size of the building and helped shape the property for the future. After Hawley died in 1930 the property was taken over and made the Hawley Manor Inn. The Hawley Manor Inn gained traction for being a popular spot where travelers could stay the night, grab some food, and adventure around the stunning gardens. The owner of the Inn at Newtown, Rob Ryder purchased the space in 1998 but sadly closed its doors in 2016 after 18 successful years.
“Obviously an old building has it’s setbacks, being in the historic district you have to go through those ins and outs to get those little things done, but it wouldn’t be fun if it was easy,” Nuegold said.
Renovating the building was not the only setback the team faced. Covid-19 slowed down the progress that was made to open the restaurant, from just the simple tasks of doing easy renovations to trying to figure out the finances was a challenge. Nuegold explained how the team has been working on the plans since before covid hit, and how everything had to be shifted in order to achieve the most successful business plan.
The rooms on the property are going to be in use also and are going to be converted into residential housing. For a brief time in 2019 a plan to redevelop the property into a 40 unit apartment complex. The plan was eventually stopped because of historic surroundings and zoning issues.
“I’m very excited for the space to be open. Seeing inside, the renovation has come along beautifully, and has opened up a lot of space. I think it will really revitalize main street and make the town more energetic,” Foundry employee and NHS senior Collin Hoffman said.
Marigolds is set to open late in the fall if all of the renovations go to plan and are hoping for a long successful life on the grand property.
“We would like to run it for as long as possible and want it to be a legacy place, we want it to stand the test of time, and be something that the people of Newtown can rely on. The buildings have been there since the 1700’s so we want to continue and make it the best we can,” Nuegold said.