By Patrick Hurston
The historic White Star building on Wardensville’s Main Street is preparing for a new life as The Wardensville Confluence, a multi-phase restaurant and community hub enterprise led by local native Eddie Williams.
Williams recently finalized a lease-to-own agreement for the property, allowing him to open the first phase of his plan: BBQ Country. The opportunity, he said, feels “Awesome. Terrifying.”
Williams, an East Hardy graduate who spent much of his youth in Wardensville, said he felt an immediate pull to the building. “As soon as I walked in, I just knew that’s where I was supposed to be,” he said.
The initial phase centers on a barbecue restaurant, called BBQ Country, a cafeteria- style restaurant modeled on his uncle’s successful 40-year business in Warrenton, Va.
The menu will feature smoked brisket, pulled pork, ribs, pit chicken, homemade sides, and possible rotating specials. Williams also hopes to offer breakfast.
In Oct., Williams offered samples at the Wardensville Fall Festival. Joining him was his friend, Dawn Mauck, a baker and proprietor of Sugar Mouth Sweets out of Culpeper, Va.
Her offerings were so well-liked that the pair quickly agreed to partner up. Mauck will prepare desserts for BBQ Country, while also offering custom-ordered baked goods including cakes and cupcakes.
Though he initially intended to outright purchase the property, the financing fell through.
He says the lease agreement is better in the long run. The agreement, he said, allows him to lease the building while making small improvements and gradually expanding the business. He said the agreement protects both parties and gives him room to grow. “It’s a lease-to-own type of situation, which works out better for both of us,” he said. “It gives me time to get the business off the ground and make the building what it needs to be without taking on a huge financial risk all at once.”
The staged approach means the restaurant and bakery will open first, followed, if all goes well, by a tavern and eventually a small inn, once operations stabilize. For now, the building’s existing apartments will remain under control of the property’s owner, Wardensville’s mayor, Betsy Orndorff-Sayers. Orndorff-Sayers did not respond to the Examiner’s request for comment prior to publication deadline.
For the barbecue Williams said he’ll use a commercial-grade, custom-built, wood-fired smoker/pit built by Slingin’ Steel out of Kentucky. The pit will operate on a combination of wood and controlled heat, allowing for long, slow smoking. He emphasized authenticity: low-and-slow meats, visible smoke work, and traditional pit techniques.
Depending on staffing and supply, he said he hopes to offer “specialty smoke days” for certain cuts.
He hopes to source ingredients from Hardy County farmers and producers whenever possible. “There’s no reason not to use what’s right here in our own backyard,” he said, referencing Teets Cattle Co. and Jenks Farms as potential suppliers. He emphasized that he wants the food to “taste like home.”
Williams said the additional elements of the business will come only after the restaurant and bakery are running smoothly. “The restaurant is what will get the doors open,” he said. “Once that’s established, then I’ll start to phase in the other parts.”
The White Star building, also known as Star Mercantile, has been a fixture on Main Street for more than a century, serving at different times as a dry goods store, the Capon Valley Bank, White Star Bar & Grill, a pool hall, apartments, and a restaurant.
Much of its historical character remains intact, including tin ceilings, woodwork, and the rear deck overlooking the confluence of Trout Run and the Cacapon River.
That meeting of waterways inspired the project’s name. Williams said he wants the Wardensville Confluence to symbolize the merging of stories, people, and traditions, just as the rivers meet behind the building.
For Williams, the project is deeply personal. “It’s not about the money. It’s about everyone who benefits from your ability to provide something that they need, want, or enjoy,” he said. He hopes the space becomes not just a business, but a place where locals can connect, relax, and feel at home.
“I want people to see my passion and drive for what I’m doing,” he said. “Every time they come and visit, I want them to feel that same connection.”
He plans a soft opening in February, possibly in conjunction with the Superbowl, and hopes to be fully operational in March.
For more information follow the Wardensville Confluence on Facebook or visit www.thewardensvilleconfluence.com.
