GLOCESTER – The building that holds one of the oldest taverns in Rhode Island has been sold for $700,000 to the owner of the neighboring gas station.
Eugene and Elaine Waterman, who now live in Florida according to the deed filed this week at Glocester Town Hall, sold 1155-1159 Putnam Pike to CLNJS, LLC.
According to the Rhode Island Secretary of State business database, CLNJS was incorporated in March of this year by Elias Sleiman, owner of the neighboring Sunoco Gas Station.
Built in the 1700s, the structure known as 1157 Putnam Pike holds Tavern on Main, a bar/restaurant run by Chef David Lumnah since 2006.
Eugene Waterman ran the historic tavern from 1982 until his retirement in 2004. The two-story building features the 4,699-square-foot bar and restaurant on the first floor, and a finished upper story with 2,294-square-feet of space, according to town property records. The restaurant boasts a large fireplace, exposed chestnut and oak beams, and original wood floors.
Famous for its role in the Dorr Rebellion, the structure has held apartment buildings, a billiard parlor and pubs over the years, and is also known for being home to some, “friendly ghosts,” according to staff and management over the years. The restaurant has been called, “the most haunted place in Rhode Island,” and is a favorite of those in search of the supernatural.
The sale also included the two-unit adjacent house and roughly half acre of land, assessed at $663,900.
Sleiman, who owns a number of Glocester properties including the Sunoco, lists his address on business documents as 1163 Putnam Pike, the gas station where he has long worked as a mechanic.
Fans of the restaurant and its accompanying spirits likely need not worry, Tavern on Main remains open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday with no apparent change in management on the horizon.
