Cheers to the Future of Ronceverte
Story by Josh Baldwin
Local business duo Mark Trent & Dan Withrow celebrate their re-opening of one of WV’s oldest bars, ensuring it lasts another 100 years. Stepping into The Sportsman Tavern in Ronceverte is stepping into the future of Ronceverte.
First opened in the 1930s, The Sportsman has the distinct honor of being one of the oldest running bars in the entire state of West Virginia. Its newest incarnation, at the hands of new owners Mark Trent and Dan Withrow, has brought it fully into its next life.
“In fact, this is the third time I’ve owned this bar,” jokes Dan, who was an owner in the 1970s and then again in the 1980s. But this time is a little different.
Ronceverte, riding a wave of renewed energy and welcoming a new spate of residents since Covid, was in need of a new community hangout that espoused the excitement felt around town. Enter Dan and Mark, Director of Parks and Recreation and City Council member, respectively.
“I met Dan in 2019 when I bought my first house in Ronceverte after moving back from New York,” says Mark, who explains that Dan was the house inspector for his closing. “We bonded over our nostalgia for Ronceverte and Dan mentioned we should have a beer at The Sportsman sometime.”
During that afternoon beer, some days later, the owner casually mentioned they were looking for a buyer. But Covid would rear its ugly head a few months later. Everything closed and no one knew what was going on. But as the pandemic calmed down, Mark went back to Dan and said, “I want to do this but I can’t do it alone.” So, for the third time, Dan put his name behind the Ronceverte staple, and the duo began a project that has become more than just the bar it seems to be.
After purchasing the building and business, Dan and Mark decided to have one last hurrah at the “old” Sportsman before temporarily closing for renovations. What began as an idea to just update a few things, quickly became a total gut job.
“When we came in we said we weren’t going to change anything,” laughs Mark, “but then we changed everything! But we did things to make you feel like the bar has always been here and looked like this. We were careful to preserve the vibe of what made it special.”
The pair tore the bar down to its studs, but in the process revealed such gems as its original brick walls and a punched tin ceiling. Some of the bones of the place included wormy chestnut which they milled down into the bar top that exists today.
The Sportsman actually recycled many things—not just found in the bar, but around town, too. The transoms are originally windows from Ronceverte Elementary, much of the wood from a barn on Rockland Road and other Ronceverte structures, and the massive stoplight that’s hangs from the ceiling was the original light at the corner of the bank building and the old theatre.
This recycling of old to new is part of what Dan and Mark see as a guiding philosophy for the future of Ronceverte.
“I think it’s important to keep what we have but bring it to life in a new way,” explains Mark.
“Ronceverte has such a deep and rich history that we wanted to make the Sportsman part of that legacy,” adds Dan.
Some of the new attributes of The Sportsman include a decorative tiled entrance, a newly expanded bar, a new kitchen space, brand-new bathrooms, and upstairs storage.
On top of that, they added a vintage, handbuilt 1930s shuffleboard, vintage pinball and arcade games (all costing only 25¢), chessboard/checks tabletops, three TVs, and a jukebox that you can control with your phone.
“The decorative tile entrance was Brian’s idea,” says Mark, referring to Brian Thomas, who acted as the general contractor on the project. Mark says that Brian has been one of his mentors ever since he met him as a teenager working for John Bell Company. “Brian has always been someone to teach me how to do stuff. He was getting ready to move away and I said, ‘Hey man, I have one more project!’” This place would not be what it is today without his hard work and expertise.” The fact that Brian took a gutted building to its completed self in just eight months is a testament to his work ethic and skill.
Currently, The Sportsman serves beer and wine. And, while it plans to start serving lunch out of its kitchen in the spring, the bar is enjoying its relationship with food trucks that come on the weekends.
“We really feel like The Sportsman can be a catalyst to anyone wanting to open a business in Ronceverte,” says Dan.
Mark and Dan hope that their work at The Sportsman inspires other business owners and developers to see the potential in Ronceverte.
“We didn’t want to just put band-aids on everything,” explains Mark. “We hope it’s a showcase of what developers can accomplish with other buildings in Ronceverte since they have similar great character.”
“We have opened the eyes of many developers to the potential in Ronceverte,” adds Dan. “Ronceverte’s redevelopment will be an asset to Greenbrier County and Southern WV for years to come.
