The Old Drovers Tavern at Nelson

The Old Drovers Tavern at Nelson A volunteer driven, not-for-profit called Nelson Preservation Associates has formed to acquire and restore Bill Magee's tavern and auction barn!

This unique project plans to preserve the historic drover's tavern listed on the registry of historic places.

08/29/2026

Does my heart good to know these old beauties are still out there, being saved for new installations somewhere….somewhere like our own Old Drovers Tavern. It’s a dream, to rebuild the barn seen in the 1870s photo, but dreams DO come true with courage and commitment. We’ll get there….

Another successful project this season focused on “balancing the fenestration” in the modern section of the rear wall. T...
08/29/2026

Another successful project this season focused on “balancing the fenestration” in the modern section of the rear wall. This refers to the design, proportion, and arrangement of openings, such as windows, doors, and skylights, in a building's exterior.

Key Aspects of Fenestration:
* Architecture: Defines how doors and windows are placed to control natural light, airflow, and views.

* Energy Efficiency: Impacts heating and cooling based on the type of glass and frames used.

Looking at an earlier photo, we can see:
- five different window sizes & styles, - three different door sizes & styles,
- and a VERY historic door (c. Late 1700s) which has been drilled through as a channel to hold the heating fuel intake pipes.

With a very generous donation of several historic window sashes from Thom & Valerie Morris in Erieville, we’ve been able to rehabilitate the fenestration in the modern shop area which now allows for better light, better air exchange AND frees what may be the most historic door present on site for further study, treatment and preservation.

We’d also like to thank Randy Woodworth for being willing to take on this challenge and apply his skills & patience to such a successful outcome.

With Fall quickly advancing, we are starting to wind down our exterior 2026 work projects at the Old Drovers Tavern. Lia...
08/29/2026

With Fall quickly advancing, we are starting to wind down our exterior 2026 work projects at the Old Drovers Tavern. Liam continues to dissect & remove the old concrete pavers at the front entry. The middle door step up was also removed, revealing red paint on both foundation stones and the wooden threshold face. This discovery helps us assign approximate application dates to the various layers of concrete. We’ll see how far we can get before snow arrives, but come next Spring we’ll be ready for a new drain line and reconstruction of the wooden board walk. Cheers!!

08/23/2026

**FREE STUFF** We left the tent up another day, full of free stuff. Puzzles, games, 2 bread making machines, some small furniture, odds and ends, a group of old chairs that need caning and TLC for the hobbyist, 2 really adorable rocking horses for some lucky children....A bunch of college students going back to school stopped in and grabbed a bunch of goodies for their dorm rooms.

*FREEBIE ALERT***Thanks to all who came to our 2 day sale. We were so happy to see so many smiling faces walk off with n...
08/22/2026

*FREEBIE ALERT***Thanks to all who came to our 2 day sale. We were so happy to see so many smiling faces walk off with new treasures! And we are so thankful to those that donated items to our sale. Now it's our turn to give back, so we've left a whole bunch of freebies under the tent tonite. Please enjoy the freebies (but please don't take the tables, we need them for future sales!) And Liam.... sitting in the chair is not a freebie🤣🤣🤣

Our annual Tent & Barn sale is underway on a simply beautiful central NY day! This is our big fundraiser for the year, s...
08/21/2026

Our annual Tent & Barn sale is underway on a simply beautiful central NY day! This is our big fundraiser for the year, so come on down and see what’s for sale & you can’t live with out!!

Restoration is still underway today as well. Randy Woodworth is on site installing windows and has liberated a very special historic door. See the photo comments for more information!

We’re ready!!!! Two day barn sale begins tomorrow at 10 am!!!!! See you there!! Thank you in advance to all who share th...
08/20/2026

We’re ready!!!! Two day barn sale begins tomorrow at 10 am!!!!! See you there!! Thank you in advance to all who share their support of this adventure. Cheers!

Little by little we are getting ready for the huge barn and tent sale 10-4 Friday and Sat (Aug 21 and 22nd).We've had so...
08/17/2026

Little by little we are getting ready for the huge barn and tent sale 10-4 Friday and Sat (Aug 21 and 22nd).We've had some amazing donations! Everything to please everyone. Hand made dolls, beanie babies, baseball equipment, pet supplies, pots and pans, baking dishes, craft supplies, Christmas stuff, lots of lighting and lamps, furniture (large and small), computer desk (Sauter's), baskets galore (some handmade), cut glass, candle holders, vases, antiques, LP's and CD's (lots of jazz) just to name a few! Oh, we forgot the stripped down spinet piano that some craftsperson can make into a beautiful desk (we even have the large fish tank if you want to make the piano into a piece that will fit the fish tank!!) We got it all if you've got an imagination!

Inch by inch…more headway made in lifting concrete today…oh to be young and energetic!!! Way to go Liam!!And Hoke Electr...
08/13/2026

Inch by inch…more headway made in lifting concrete today…oh to be young and energetic!!! Way to go Liam!!

And Hoke Electrical is back again to continue addressing more issues with flips and switches and electrical bears, oh my!!! We are so thankful to all the professionals and volunteers which keep this adventure rolling!!!

Today Liam began investigating the circa 1920s concrete sidewalk at the Rt. 20 entrances. This will be removed and repla...
08/12/2026

Today Liam began investigating the circa 1920s concrete sidewalk at the Rt. 20 entrances. This will be removed and replaced with a replica of the raised boardwalk seen in the 1870s photo guiding our restoration program. As there are several layers to the old concrete pads, Liam is carefully excavating sections “by hand” so we can examine the difference layers and construction methods, as well as recover any artifacts. This is hard work, but well worth the effort as the new boardwalk will allow for ADA access to the first floor rooms, resolve more drainage issues and allow the return of an important architectural styling special to this landmark. Stay tuned as we advance this new project!!!

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Cazenovia, NY

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