Great Food, Long History at The Waterville Tavern
By Christopher Miller
A short drive up PA Route 44 North from Jersey Shore will land you in the beautiful little village of Waterville.
Home to a sportsman’s paradise of hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and biking, this village is ground zero for the Pine Creek Rail Trail and all that the Pennsylvania “great outdoors” has to offer.
Though Waterville’s roots stem from Michael and Henry Wolf who arrived in the area from Berks County in 1817, tracts of land nearby were given to significant players in the Revolutionary War as a “thank you” for serving our developing country. Without an official post office until 1849, Waterville was not much besides a sawmill, farms, and other business establishments.
However, in 1825 a man by the name of Abraham Harris built and established a hotel in modern-day Waterville on Pine Creek. The Harris Hotel, as it was once known, was a place of rest and refuge in the Pennsylvania wild backcountry.
Waterville and the logging days, which was once compared to as the “wild west,” was known for an abundance of bars, man-camps of workers felling logs, and other businesses of questionable activity.
While the Harris Hotel has changed owners and was known by many names throughout the centuries, after 183 years (2008) Debra and Albert Harakel purchased the building and began extensive renovations to create what is known today as The Waterville Tavern.
Serving lunch and dinner, The Waterville Tavern has been a staple of the local area, and a wonderful stopover on the Pine Creek Rail Trail. Not only known for their generous portions and extensive bar and martini menu, the tavern also has a well-known and adored ice cream shack in the rear of the business within sight from the Rail Trail.
Being located along the Rail Trail has many perks, such as meeting new people daily. According to Deb, her visitor’s that have spanned the globe and have walked into the tavern have come from as far away as Russia and Sweden. “We love having a business in the heart of the Pine Creek Valley; we’ve met so many interesting people,” Deb stated in an interview with The Record.
Living and working in the Pine Creek Valley does not come without a severe dedication to your business as your livelihood. For Deb and Al this changes drastically in the Winter months when business drops off due to the changing weather conditions, demand for bike space on the Rail Trail, and lesser visitors to nearby Little Pine State Park.
As well, being located within the Pine Creek Valley has offered unique experiences for the Harakel’s, such as viewing wildlife up close and personal. “We’ve had many a black bear in our dumpsters, but now we have a bear prof one.” As a side note from Deb and the Tavern, “we struggle to find employees and filling positions –
if you are interested in working in a beautiful, historic building, in a busy area please inquire at The Waterville Tavern! We are always in need of good, dependable employees!”
While future business hours are currently up in the air depending on government mandates, the Tavern remains open. Upon investigation of their December calendar, the Tavern will be open for business on December 4 – 7, 11, 13 – 14, 18 – 20, 28 – 31.
A recent addition to the Tavern are hotel rooms for rent above the restaurant, with 1 handicapped accessible room available on the first floor. Tastefully decorated, each room has modern conveniences that will have the visitor aching for daily life in the mountains upon checking out of the hotel.
Deb and Al Harakel would love to see you at their table! Please pay them a visit and see the gorgeously renovated Waterville Tavern for yourself.
