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a taste of history
“Everything is recycled from something,” says Barbara. Hand-hewed timber beams, some as long as 30 feet, were dismantled from the then 100-year old Stone- sifer barn in Robinson Township while the cool, dark slate floors originated from the roofs of a Presbyterian church and nursing home that were being demolished in Pittsburgh.
Step into the French Provencal structure and immedi- ately, the sweet, musky aroma of that timber warmly greets you, as does the well-used hearth of a brick fire- place that holds court in a nook in the Great Hall.
It’s one of dozens of tranquil features: bookshelves lined with her father’s collection, including a 3,200 page Webster’s New International Dictionary printed in
1950, European tapestries, and a window seat adorned with two cozy pillows that still remains in what was once the family’s living room.
“Our bedrooms were upstairs,” says Barbara. Her par- ents room accommodated the second layers of guests who arrived amidst a swirling winter chill.
“I have dreams still that the beds are unmade in my parent’s room or there are towels all over the bathroom, which women who came to the restaurant could use. The men had to go outside to use the outhouse,”
she laughs.
On the grounds of the property, the family maintained an abundant garden that produced succulent vege-
tables used in the prepared food. In 1952, her father began construction on a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home that stood about a hundred yards or so from Hyeholde. When it was completed, the family moved in for two weeks before William decided it was better used as an income producing rental.
When the Kryskills sold the property to the Foy fami- ly in the early 1980s, that house was turned into a jazz club known as the Cabaret. To easily accommodate guests in the mood for an after dinner drink, the Foy’s tunneled under the driveway to create a connecting corridor. During its heyday, the nightclub served its customers well, putting the spotlight on artists like Charlie Bird and Chris Connor—big names of the day. The stage lights remained bright until 1991.
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