The Herr Tavern and Publick House was built in 1815 by Thomas Sweeney to capitalize on the route that led west, now known as Route 30, and purchased in 1828 by Frederick Herr. While Herr used the tavern for some illegal misdoings such as counterfeiting and a rumored brothel, it was put to good use, too, by the Underground Railroad helping slaves to freedom. In the summer of 1863, overrun by Confederates, the building became a hospital for wounded soldiers of the Civil War. The property, which claims dozens of haunting incidents, was purchased and sold over the years, and is now owned by Steve Wolf, who since 1977 has been lovingly restoring its history while chef Charles Stockman wows guests with inventive culinary creations.
Chef Stockman sources as much as he can from nearby farms, including greens from Earth ‘n Eats and Rettland Farms chickens and cheeses. His seasonal menu changes monthly, and sometimes weekly. An off-the-beaten-path dining destination, the restaurant has a volume of traffic that allows the chefs creative expression and time to hand-make almost everything on the menu including breads, pretzel knots and ice creams. No fine dining detail is spared here, from amuse bouche (a single bite-sized hors d’oeuvre sent out usually “compliments of the chef”) to mignardise (small sweet bites usually presented with the guest
check). Everything at the Inn at Herr Tavern is served in crystal or on fine china, and the persnickety will find pleasure in the particularly heavy silverware.
Stockman, a Gettysburg native, made his homecoming after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, followed by a series of upscale inn positions at Antrim 1844 in Taneytown and Anheuser Busch’s Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia. In addition to his pastry chef experience, he also oversees the wine list,
which boasts over 400 wines. The restaurant has won awards from both Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast magazines. A private dining room in the wine cellar seats about 30 for a unique, intimate experience. The “fishbowl” table, aptly named as it sits in a bay window of the inn’s sunroom overlooking a country portion of Route 30, is the table most often requested; however, the entire sunroom offers a bucolic view of rolling fields and former battlefields.
The inn offers 16 guest rooms appointed with different antiques and is on the Select Registry and National Registry of Historic Places.
