DES MOINES, Iowa — The Chamberlain Pub is a buzz three nights a week. You’ll find it slightly hidden along a heavily traveled part of Grand Avenue in Des Moines. The Chamberlain’s happy hour is quickly becoming a favorite place to bring generations together.

“I don’t really know if people really know we’re here. I think it’s spreading more by word of mouth,” said Wesley on Grand resident Sue Terry.

Up until now, most people know Wesley on Grand as the senior living or retirement community.  After all, it is home to people from their mid-50s all the way to their 100s.

“Part of the whole problem with ageism is we tend to separate generations,” explained Rob Kretzinger, WesleyLife President and CEO.

Kretzinger says the beauty of Wesley on Grand is that it’s embedded in the historic Greenwood neighborhood. The Chamberlain is also part of Des Moines’ rich history.

Davis Chamberlain built the mansion south of Grand in the early 1900s.  Styled after the half-timbered homes in England in the 17th century, it remains Des Moines’ oldest example of Tudor Jacobean architecture. Complete with its five gables and dormers, massive chimneys and windows imported from France. That was the first chapter for the historic home.

“Our whole organization was founded in this house,” said Kretzinger.

The United Methodist Conference purchased what is now Wesley on Grand for just over $50,000 in the late 1940s. The sale included the mansion, a six-stall garage, a carriage house and 14 acres of land. All that remains today in terms of that original purchase is the house.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Chamberlain underwent a full restoration two years ago.

“Restored both the interior and the exterior back to its original and historic integrity,” said Wesley on Grand Executive Director Damon Buskohl.

With the pub downstairs, Wesley on Grand runs a bed and breakfast upstairs. Named after members of the Chamberlain family, five rooms are available to rent at the B&B.

From the Lowell to the Rachel and the Izanna.

“This is our premier guest room,” said Buskohl. “This is the most popular room we rent,” he added.

Whether it’s offering a home away from home or a welcoming place to sit back and visit with friends over happy hour, you can expect the unexpected at the Chamberlain.

“To own an old home, historic home that serves no other purchase than to be a pub and bed and a breakfast, doesn’t make a lot of economic sense, but it makes a lot of missional sense for us,” said Kretzinger

It’s a place that brings generations together.

The Chamberlain Pub is open to the public for dinner and drinks Wednesday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. You’ll find more information on their website.

Metro News: