HIGH BANK WESTERVILLE DISTILLERY
In the heart of Uptown Westerville, a historic post office finds new purpose as a vibrant culinary destination, blending the city’s prohibition-era legacy with contemporary dining.
HISTORY
When the Anti-Saloon League took up headquarters in Westerville, OH, the town became known as the home of prohibition. The League printed and distributed anti-alcohol materials in support of temperance, at a volume of 40 tons of mail per month. The enormous volume of mailings needed a place to be posted, thus Westerville became the smallest town in the nation to have a first-class post office.
After operating for 50 years, the building could no longer keep up with the growing community and a new building was built farther south on State Street.
Today, Highbank Distillery found a home on this busy corner of downtown and sought to celebrate it’s past. Special care has been taken to preserve the original architectural character and details, while creating a modern bar and restaurant. Today’s patrons appreciate the thoughtful design, as well as the once outlawed cocktails.
CHALLENGE
To reimagine Westerville’s historic post office as High Bank Distillery, blending prohibition-era legacy with contemporary culinary flair.
Solution
The renovation retains the building’s architectural character while introducing modern dining and bar spaces. The metalwork behind the host desk is salvaged from the teller gates of the original post office. Preservation of elements such as this, mixed with a fresh updated aesthetic, creates a unique character for dining and socializing.
Patio
New patio spaces to the north and south of the building extend the interiors to the outdoors, creating connection between High Bank Distillery and the Westerville community.
This connection did not come without it’s challenges and a rigorous review process. An existing “heritage tree” to the north called for careful consideration when designing the on-grade patio as to not cause it harm. To the south, the raised patio was required to be structurally separate from the existing historical building in case of future reversal.
the exterior renovations were able to respect the historic features of the building, create community engagement, and enrich the hospitality for today’s patron.