Gather together: Historic property to offer its first Thanksgiving meal

By Preston Knight -- Daily Staff Writer

STEPHENSON -- Daniel Hayes' best-kept secret can be debated: It's either where he used to work or where he works now.

The Historic Jordan Springs Event and Cultural Centre in Stephenson will offer a Thanksgiving meal for the first time this year. Dennis Grundman/Daily The dining room at Jordan Springs is formal, yet inviting. Dennis Grundman/Daily Colt Nutter, left, director of Historic Jordan Springs, and Tonie Wallace, owner, stand on the front porch of the property. Dennis Grundman/Daily

Hayes, a chef who travels nationally, came to the Historic Jordan Springs Event and Cultural Centre several years ago after being the personal chef for a sports celebrity, who must remain confidential, the center's executive director Colt Nutter said. Then again, Jordan Springs as an event center itself hardly has widespread notoriety, he added.

"We've been called the best-kept secret in Frederick County many times," Nutter said.

That may slowly begin to change as the facility opens itself to more public events. The next big one is a Thanksgiving Day feast.

If you're interested in learning about one of Hayes' secrets, or can settle for just a nice meal in an even nicer place, this holiday will be the opportunity. Jordan Springs, which has been open to the public for weddings, receptions, meetings and more for only about a year, is taking reservations through Thursday for its first Thanksgiving dinner.

Tickets in advance are $45 for adults and $25 for children under 12. At the door, tickets cost $55. Quantities are limited as seating, which will include private rooms, is capped at 170 people. Seatings are scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m.

The buffet meal will consist of prime rib, turkey, ham, three different dressings, sweet and mashed potatoes, chocolate cake, pumpkin pie, a cash bar and much more. Nutter said he expects a larger attendance than what Jordan Springs had for its Mother's Day lunch, which was about 120 people.

The question he and owners Tonie Wallace and Greig Aitken have been asking themselves, and others, is whether people want to go out to eat on Thanksgiving rather than have a family meal at home. The answer has been just what they wanted to hear.

"Folks want to stay together," Nutter said, "but nobody seems to want to do the cooking."

Wallace said: "It's a different day and age. People are not necessarily into cooking as they used to."

She said she would never go out to eat for Thanksgiving. But don't listen to her, or just choose selective listening in this instance. Wallace sees a lot of positives about the Jordan Springs Thanksgiving event -- and not just because of the food.

"It's a special event, unique for people," she said. "They get a sneak peak at the Christmas decorations. It's very festive here. People have said things like, 'Coming to Jordan Springs starts the holiday season for me.' It's a spiritual place, very resort like."

Built in the 1800s as a hotel, Jordan Springs was the place to be for high-end clientele, including President Roosevelt, Nutter said. It later became a monastery and, before Wallace and Aitken, who own County Court Reporters, purchased it in 2001, Jordan Springs was Shalom et Benedictus, a drug and rehab center for children.

The 237-acre estate dates back much farther, though. The Catawba Indians used it as far back as 1549, drawn to the white sulfur springs on the property, Nutter said. In the early 1700s, white settlers came onto the scene, at which point Jordan Springs gained popularity, he said.

"We want to return Jordan Springs to being the place to be," Nutter said.

Events like the Thanksgiving meal will go a long way toward making that happen. Then, next month, Jordan Springs has a Christmas dinner and chamber concert by the Winchester Orchestra scheduled for Dec. 19. Advance tickets are $75 per person, and $85 at the door.

And starting in January, Nutter said Jordan Springs will open its pub on Fridays for live music.

Many people know the name Jordan Springs but don't associate it with being a place for community events, he said. That's not to say the past year -- it took the owners several years to get Jordan Springs ready for the public, and renovation is still ongoing -- has been slow. Wallace said the facility, which has a staff of about 50 people, has been inundated with requests, and it is already accepting reservations into 2010.

"We're more than satisfied," Wallace said. "We see our property as a community center for the entire area, not a community center for a subdivision. We believe this is the diamond for Frederick County."

For more information or to purchase Thanksgiving tickets, call 667-7744.

* Contact Preston Knight at pknight@nvdaily.com