Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Comfortable yet elegant, an atmosphere that’s nostalgic yet modern, a place of relaxed luxury, a northern estate steeped in the feel of the old South.
Somehow these contradictions blend together for a thoroughly wonderful experience at Tara, A Country Inn, in eastern Pennsylvania.
That’s Tara as in “Gone with the Wind,” as in southern plantation, Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. It successfully channels the charm and the look of the Old South at the time of the Civil War.
The ties of this Tara to the Civil War are real. Built in 1854 – five years before Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter, South Carolina – the home was located on the Underground Railroad, the secret route escaped Southern slaves used to find freedom in the North and Canada. Appropriately, the home was built by a former U.S. congressman, who was involved in signing the Emancipation Proclamation.
Originally built as a farmhouse on a hilltop with a commanding view of the Shenango River, later additions including a veranda and sunroom gave it the Greek Revival look, and two more additions in the 1980s readied it for its final transformation to Tara – A Country Inn.
The Inn opened in 1986 with the southern plantation look that gives it the name it carries today.
The town it once overlooked – Clarksville – is gone now, flooded when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created Shenango Lake. But the beautiful countryside remains. Tara itself features gardens and grounds to enjoy and explore, including pleasant walks down the gentle slope to the lake. Opportunities to enjoy nature aren’t far away, including McConnells Mill State Park, where visitors can explore the 2,500 acres of spectacular Slippery Rock Gorge with its waterfalls and scenic overlooks.
The mansion itself offers a rich and varied collection of Civil War memorabilia and artifacts, including impressive displays of vintage firearms. The attention to detail and availability of amenities is impressive.
Twenty-seven rooms and suites are offered, all with the feel and appearance of 19th-century elegance, yet with the modern amenities you’d expect. Arrive on Sunday and you’ll find a complimentary bottle of champagne and a welcome tray of fresh fruit and cheese awaiting in your room. Before you pop the cork on the champagne, get into the spirit by lighting the gas fireplace.
Even dining has its Civil War overtones. Stonewall’s Tavern features great dining offered in a comfortable rustic atmosphere that includes stone walls and hand-hewn beams. It’s not a big stretch to imagine that the rooms were likely a safe haven for travelers on the Underground Railroad. The service staff throughout the inn is attentive and first-rate. Many of them have enjoyed their jobs for years, and it shows in their performance.
Tara is a three-hour drive, most of it on the Ohio Turnpike. For more information visit Tara-Inn,.com.
