Kaufman House

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Wednesday October 27th 7:00 p.m.
6 Courses featuring food and beer from different European Countries

Zelienople, a picturesque community of 3,000 and with a trading population of approximately 7,000 people, was named in honor of Zelie, the beautiful daughter of Baron Frederick William Dettmar Basse, who founded the town in 1803. Dr. Basse, Municipal Councilor of Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany; Ambassador of the Court of the Emperor Napoleon, and gentlemen of adventure, came to the United States in 1801, and purchased from the Philadelphia Land Company ten thousand acres of land in Northwestern Pennsylvania. A portion of this land contained the site on which Zelienople was later founded, and was at that time known as "The Creek Meadows".

Dr. Basse returned to Europe in 1806 and learned that his eldest daughter, Zelie had become engaged to Phillippe Louis Passavant, son of an ancient noble Huguenot family. Their marriage occurred June 10, 1807, and the couple accompanied the bride's father to America.

As early as 1837-three years before Zelienople was incorporated as a borough-three inns or taverns were already established. Among these was "The Cross Keys". It was constructed by John Randolph on the site of the present Kaufman House where you are a guest today. Its painted signboard bore the ancient papal insignia of The Cross and Keys, a popular tavern-board device of those early days.

From the earliest days in the history of the borough, Zelienople has been famed for its accommodations for travelers and almost from the beginning, the present site of the Kaufman House has been utilized by a succession of taverns, inns and hotels. The first on this location was the tavern and post office built by the Scotch-Irish Troy, Andrew McLure sometime before the year 1810.

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