NEW PHILADELPHIA − Don Whittingham was only looking for a place to jam and have fun with his musican buddies when he purchased a relic of a building on Fair Avenue NE in downtown New Philadelphia.
But he quickly set his sights on a grander plan − transforming the space at 112 Fair Ave. NE into a live music venue with a restaurant and bar christened The Delaware.
Bold ambition, financial risk and a deep passion for music have turned Whittingham’s daydream into a reality.
Sleek, inviting and originally styled, The Delaware incorporates mosaic artwork by local artist Sarah Dugger. Paintings from local artists are displayed. A handmade 17-foot kayak hangs from the ceiling. A large photo of Dundee Falls covers a wall. Liquor shelves are made of locally sourced hickory. Exposed brick accents the bar. Boutique and steam punk lighting are distinctive. A turntable spins vinyl records. And a 1960 Baldwin grand piano is next to the stage, where 1970s JBL speakers pump out the sound.
Opening about a year ago, The Delaware has injected downtown New Philadelphia with a vibrant venue for live music.
“I would like The Delaware to continue to represent a community of art, music and performance,” Whittingham said. “When people come in here, they feel good. A lot of people comment this is like going to a place in Cleveland or another big city, but it’s in a small town.”
Live music is featured four nights a week, a mix of free and ticketed shows. Acts include singer-songwriters, Nirvana and Ramones tribute bands, and touring artists such as Tommy Stinson, formerly of The Replacements, Coleman Williams, Green Jellÿ and Supersuckers. Northeast Ohio musicians and bands regularly perform, including The Whiskey Daredevils, The Intangibles, Flocco Torres, Saxy Rob, The Numbers Band 15-60-75, longtime jazzman Dave Marchione, Rick Michel and Kelly Goodrich. Special guests have included Canton native John Mahon, the longtime percussionist for Elton John.
Entertainment also includes piano nights, bingo and comedy.
“We’re the best kept secret in Tuscarawas County,” said Whittingham, a 60-year-old Tuscarawas County native. “It takes a while for people to come out and check you out. Slowly, the word is getting out.
“We’re striving to be the music venue of choice for Tuscarawas County.”
Whittingham said The Delaware culminates his lifelong love for music, dating to when he was a student at Kent State University in the 1980s and performed at downtown bars in a hipster music scene.
Running a music club and restaurant is a new chapter for Whittingham, who has worked for more than 30 years in chemical sales. Alexis Brady, general manager, helps run The Delaware.
Contacts, friendships and networking in the regional music scene keep the stage busy. Travis Arrendale, the club’s sound engineer, also helps curate and book live acts. So does Chet Byers.
“I didn’t plan a night club,” Whittingham said. “It just came to me. This is a passion for me. I love live music. I wanted to bring different types of live music to the community.
“It always comes down to art, music and culture. Whether it’s Marietta or downtown Canton.”
Whittingham owns The Delaware with his wife, Susie. Constructed in the 1920s, the building has had various uses over the decades.
They own a half block of property that includes The Delaware and extends to North Broadway Street. Spaces are leased to Craft Bistro & Lounge, Broadway Tattoo and Willow Fern Freeze Dried Candy & More. But he doesn’t have plans yet for a vacant property at Fair and Broadway that was a drug store in the 1940s before it was things such as a vacuum cleaner store and bookstore. The property is in the Fair Avenue Arts District.
“It hasn’t come to me,” Whittingham said. “I have to develop it − it’s a beautiful corner, it’s a showcase corner. I just have to do it right.”
“It will be something that will add value to the downtown to enhance the quality of life in New Philadelphia,” he said. “That’s what we try to do … much like the Delaware … and this space will be developed into something like that. My dream of grandeur is to put a French bakery in here but we’ll see.”
Whittingham said The Delaware is part of a diverse mix of businesses, including Alley Cats Marketplace, Daily Grind Cafe, Mustards, Broadway Brewhouse, Fresh the Market, Quaker Cinema, TuscArts Fine Art Gallery, and Lacey Performing Arts Center.
Whittingham said the entire county has an active music scene, including gospel, Christian, country and rock bands. Kent State University at Tuscarawas frequently features live music and touring acts at the Performing Arts Center, which seats 1,100.
“The best kept secret in Tuscarawas County is there’s so much music,” he said. “On any given weekend, we’ll have, especially in the summer, 10, 15, 20 bands playing all in one night and somewhere in the county, and that’s not an exaggeration.”
“The Akron-Canton people who come down here find that fascinating because we actually have more music sometimes than they actually have being offered up north.”
The Delaware also gives downtown visitors another dining option.
Chef Nick Thiessen serves scratch-made dishes and weekly specials such as creamy chicken chowder, lasagna soup, Mexican street corn dip and beef stroganoff. Tasty eats on the menu include a cubano sandwich served on rustic sourdough, 16-hour mesquite wood smoked brisket, pizza, flatbreads, blackened salmon salad, New Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, stuffed butternut squash, heirloom carrots and apple crisp.
The bar has 12 taps and serves wine and mixed drinks, including the Delaware old fashioned and espresso martinis.
“We’re definitely growing for a first-year business,” Whittingham said of the restaurant.
Debbie Knisely, owner of Alley Cats Marketplace and Fresh the Market, said The Delaware is another step in enriching the cultural offerings of New Philadelphia.
“You can feel the excitement,” said Knisely, 68, who has a marketing background. “People are getting involved, so we’re happy to see this momentum keep going and we hope, as the quadrants get redone (downtown), they’ll bring more business-minded people to renovate more of these buildings.”
“You have to have a vision and … instead of just seeing a dilapidated building falling down, you have to see that potential that building has and the love you have to give that building to make it into something beautiful again,” said Knisely, who opened Alley Cats in 2019. The business has more than 60 artisans and vendors, including from Stark, Tuscarawas and Carroll counties, as well the Cleveland area.
Music and art events are routinely scheduled downtown, Knisely said.
New Philadelphia Advancing the Community Together presents the Multi Cultural Festival in the summer. Live music is showcased at Music on the Square, and Art on the Alley is another regular event.
Groups fostering the local arts culture include Tuscarawas Arts Partnership. Whittingham also supports public art efforts downtown, including murals and sculptures.
“I guess I’m still surprised at how many locals haven’t been in because we constantly get that or people come in for a wedding or some retreat … and they are just so surprised with what’s here in New Philadelphia,” Knisely said. “So we each share what we have, and it’s nice to see there’s Don over there with a really unique music experience.”
Marchione, 72, is among the veteran musicians who enjoy performing at The Delaware.
“I’d play on a street corner for nothing because it’s my passion,” said the North Canton resident. “And it’s my way of communicating with the world around me, and it goes beyond my opinions, it goes beyond politics, religion and all of that. It’s the magic language that speaks directly to my heart and everyone else’s.”
Marchione first met Whittingham at a Canton recording studio around 40 years ago before reconnecting more recently when the versatile musician was gigging at Tozzi’s Restaurant of Magnolia.
Whittingham asked Marchione to perform at The Delaware.
“I think it’s the nicest music club that’s been around for a long time,” said Marchione, who has recorded music with Grammy winner Bob James. “And I was just really impressed with everything about it. The way it looks, the great sound system, and Don’s commitment to making a music club that’s music first. It’s an actual music entertainment venue that’s well thought out from top to bottom. The bar’s great, the food’s great but it’s a music venue. It’s eclectic.”
Marchione’s performances vary, but his repertoire features a mix of covers, including Van Morrison, Chick Corea and Led Zeppelin, as well as original compositions. December shows feature Christmas songs and Christmas jazz.
The Dave Marchione Jazz Trio will perform at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at The Delaware. Admission is free.
Clubs prioritizing live music are critical to the artform, Marchione said.
“It’s super important to have somewhere where human beings can express their human hearts to other human beings,” he said. “Regardless of the genre, it’s beyond important, it’s vital.”
Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com. Follow on Instagram at ed_balint and TikTok @edwardbalint.
What: The Delaware, a restaurant, bar and live music venue
Where: 112 Fair Ave. NE in downtown New Philadelphia
Upcoming events: 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12, Dave Marchione Jazz Trio; 7 p.m. Nov. 14, The Numbers Band; 8 p.m. Nov. 28, Ramones tribute Weasal Face; 7 p.m. Dec. 6, Supersuckers co-headlining with Scott H. Biram; 11 a.m. Dec. 20, Breakfast/Brunch with Santa; and 8 p.m. Feb. 7, AC/DC tribute Dirty Deeds.
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight.
For more information:https://www.thedelawarelive.com
Downtown dream. The Delaware in New Philadelphia offers mix of live music and food – Canton Repository
