The building
The Tavern
A 1930s roadhouse outside Kingston, being rebuilt by hand as a performance and music research space.
The Tavern was built at the beginning of the 20th century in a rural area outside Kingston, New York. From 1934 to 1984 it ran as Brown's Hilltop Tavern, with the original Nick Brown serving drinks until the age of 94. After 1984 it became a private home, slowly slipped into disrepair, and was finally trashed by squatters during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Peyton bought The Tavern in early 2022 to rehab the building, its outbuildings and the land, and to give The Center for Sonic and Psychospiritual Research a place for its residency program and research.
The rebuild
The rehab is ongoing and full of community involvement, with a focus on natural building. Adobe is the material of choice: it is non-toxic, and it lets artists literally sculpt the walls. The property has 1.5 acres of open lawn and 1.5 acres of forest, with room for the land to grow food for the people who live here.
Much of the history is still visible. The exposed beams of the dance-hall once looked down on square dances, and the original mahogany bar still stands right behind the front door. A local brewery gave it to the Browns in the 1930s in exchange for selling their beer. The brewery burned down three weeks later.
The dance-hall
Today the dance-hall is The Tavern's main performance space. It has a minimal backline: a PA, drums, an upright piano and an electric piano. We're looking for an upright bass, a bass amp and a guitar amp.
Upstairs
Four small bedrooms upstairs are being rebuilt for the artist residency. The attic is insulated and the doors are in. Next come a full bathroom and finished floors over the new plywood subfloor. One of the bedrooms is quieter than the others, suitable for practicing louder instruments.