LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — It was an emotional day on Tuesday, as the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn in Leacock Township, Lancaster County, began its rebuild following a fatal explosion and fire late last year.
“It’s bittersweet," said Tammy Portner-Smith, general manager of the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn. “It’s been tough but going through the planning and looking at the drawings and coming up with new ideas has been awesome. It’s helped to make it a little easier.”
On Tuesday, a barn-raising began. They're a longstanding tradition in Lancaster County, where the Amish community comes together to build or rebuild a structure destroyed in a fire.
“It’s like the old days when they used to do the barns and help the community and help each other out," said Martin Rosado of West Chester, New York. He was one of many out Tuesday morning watching the workers.
Kathy and Dave Brenneman of York County were also there watching. They're staying at the hotel this week.
They were supposed to enjoy a stay in December too.
“It was my husband’s birthday on December 27 and ahead of time I bought gift cards for our stay because we usually stay about three days and then we got a call," explained Kathy.
Those phone calls were difficult to make for Bird-in-Hand staff, who were hit by another whammy in January when the hotel’s restaurant caught fire.
It’s a situation Portner-Smith says was made a little easier by the community’s support.
“It is unreal. I have never experienced anything like this," she said. "They pulled together the day after the explosion, they were there."
Beechdale Builders will be on the grounds of the hotel both Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. to frame the building, set up the trusses and put the roof on the new structure.
The new building will house the Inn’s registration desk, sales office and seven guest rooms, the popular Schoolhouse Suite and a new Barn Suite.
“We are adding some new stuff that’s really exciting but we’ll never forget what we had," said Portner-Smith.
“They’re Smuckers and they know about family so that’s why I think they probably have so much help from the community," said Dave Brenneman.
The Inn hopes to have guests in the new rooms by the end of the summer.
Meanwhile, there's no timeline for when the Inn's restaurant will reopen on-site. It's currently operating out of a temporary location at the site of the old Revere Tavern at 3063 Lincoln Highway East.
Portner-Smiths says they plan on updating the buffet area so there will be new things for guests to look forward to at the restaurant as well.
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