The 1840 Tavern — Rob Johnston

Case Study

The 1840 Tavern – Giving an Old Landmark a New Family Story

When Kieran and Kim O’Gorman took over the historic Clarksville Inn with their daughter, Allie, they were not simply opening another restaurant.

They were becoming responsible for a place that had already belonged to the community for nearly two centuries.

Built in 1840, the inn once welcomed travelers moving by horse and carriage to and from the Port of Nyack. The new identity needed to respect that history without preserving the building in amber. It had to feel established, welcoming, and clearly connected to the family carrying it forward.

Then the pandemic arrived.

What began as a restaurant identity became a system for helping the business communicate, adapt, and remain present while its customers could no longer gather inside.

Curbside pickup and delivery were introduced. Hours and services changed quickly. Social media and printed materials became the tavern’s direct connection to the community, carrying practical information as well as messages of gratitude and support.

The identity grew from the same balance of history and forward movement.

A deep green and gold palette drew from the O’Gorman family’s Irish roots. The original Clarksville Inn illustration was redrawn with a stronger horse and a new carriage carrying the silhouettes of Kieran, Kim, and Allie.

The familiar historical image became something more personal: a portrait of the family setting out together.

The system extended across menus, coasters, matchbooks, business cards, signs, digital communications, and restaurant materials. It gave the tavern a recognizable voice whether it was welcoming people inside or explaining how dinner could be picked up safely from the parking lot.

Above the bar, the O’Gormans placed the words You’ll Never Walk Alone, a reference to Liverpool Football Club that took on a much larger meaning during the restaurant’s first year.

The finished identity did more than modernize an old inn. It connected the building’s history, the family’s character, and the support of the surrounding community in one coherent story—giving the tavern something it had never had before: a visual identity that clearly belonged to its next chapter.