Chapter 44 (cont.)

 

THE STONE BALLOON ALE HOUSEPaying homage to what came before, inside the Ale House.

Okay, after the Balloon was vaporized into a smoldering crater in 2006, up went the Washington House Condos, with some bar / restaurant space in the building at street level.

 

There was an initial attempt to pay tribute to the Stone Balloon, with the Stone Balloon Winehouse. Beautifully designed, the interior integrated stone from the original Balloon façade. And as many predicted, no one understood the place. “Stone Balloon” and “Winehouse” in the same name? Uhhhhhh, what?

 

After failing to resonate, the Winehouse then became a 16 Mile Taphouse location in 2013, marking the first time since 1972 that the “Stone Balloon” name didn’t exist on Main Street. The Taphouse didn’t catch on, either.

 

Finally, in 2014, a new incarnation of the space that made sense: a balance of college friendly drinking destination and homage to the past, as the Stone Balloon Ale House. Recognizing the strong nostalgia for what came before -- and that the “Stone Balloon” name still carries a lot of weight in Delaware -- the new owners invested in amping up the place with historic wall photos, memorabilia, and signage which includes a comprehensive list of bands that had played at 115 East Main Street over the decades.

 

Sure, there will probably never be live music played in the space again -- a clause in the condos’ building contract prevents that -- but at least now the new generations of Blue Hens who never knew the original Balloon can get a sense of what had been. Oh, and eat and drink while they do it. And judging by the crowds that overran the place during UD Alumni Weekend 2015, the Ale House got it right.

 

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