The Chesterland Tavern has been a central landmark of Chester Township for more than 75 years. The original building was a log cabin constructed by Robert Painter in 1929. He named it the Valley Villa Inn which came from Mr. Painter's property, the Valley Villa Farm.
Since Chester Township was dry at the time, no alcohol would flow at Valley Villa Inn until 1933 when Prohibition was repealed and beer and wine sales were legalized. Liquor sales would not be allowed until 1978.
The Inn changed ownership in 1940 and the new owner, Kenneth (Tinny) Lyman helped turn the restaurant into a very busy spot. The famous Friday night fish fry made the Inn well known, as well as the good hamburgers and french fries. These traditions still hold true today.
Valley Villa Inn became the Tavern of Chester under a new owner. By the mid 1980's the restaurant had been expanded to include an outdoor eatery which was called Daffodil's. The outdoor barbecue was a legend in its time. That outdoor experience can still be enjoyed today during Summer and early Fall.
The Tavern suffered through difficult times during the nineties and in fact closed in the Fall of 1997. It would reopen in 1998 as the Chesterland Tavern Restaurant under the ownership of Robert Wantz.
The Chesterland Tavern has been owned by Richard and Nona Healey since July of 2005. Their goal has been to be true to the traditions and history of the Chesterland Tavern while continuing to improve and innovate. The warmth and comfort of dining and relaxing at the Chesterland Tavern is the same today as when Mr. Painter built his log cabin in 1929.