Long Grove’s The Village Tavern, the oldest continuously operating tavern in Illinois, is in the hands of new owners, which say they hope to maintain the tradition that goes back to 1847. (Brian Hill | Staff Photographer)
Before the advent of the automobile, motion pictures or radio, The Village Tavern wet the whistles of those living in or passing through what would become the Northwest suburbs.
The oldest tavern in Illinois opened in modern-day Long Grove in 1847 as the Zimmer Tavern and Wagon Shop. Later renamed The Village Tavern, the establishment at 135 Old McHenry Road received Long Grove’s first liquor license — signed by Village President Robert Parker Coffin — after the village’s 1956 incorporation.
Ownership has changed hands over the years, but one thing has remained the same: It’s a family operation.
Now, following in the tradition of the Zimmer, Didier, Sayles and Ullrich families before them, the Jarvis family of Arlington Heights has acquired the historic tavern.
Will and Elaine Jarvis, daughter Nicole Jarvis and her husband, Scott Wallace, say they are ready to build on old traditions and add to the tavern’s lore
“We loved the history,” Nicole Jarvis said. “And we loved the fact that it has been family owned for 176 years.”
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