Apple House Market

Sinclair Hille Architects was excited to be selected by the Arbor Day Foundation to assist Arbor Day Farm with the renovation and expansion of the Apple House Market and Porter’s Restaurant in Nebraska City. After a fire destroyed much of the building in 2019, a team was assembled to urgently assess the damage to the structure, formulate a plan for reconstruction and complete the work by the coming Fall season.

The newly imagined structure now provides expanded retail and wine tasting areas, event space, and a larger indoor seating area for Porter’s Restaurant. The restaurant continues to serve guests their delicious, smoked-on-site barbecue as well as their famous apple cider slushies. Visitors are afforded the opportunity to view cider production firsthand and overlook the tree and apple processing areas.

Upon reflection of the fire at the farm, foundation representatives commented “We always say that Arbor Day Farm is where our mission comes to life for the Arbor Day Foundation”.  We’re excited that this place, Apple House Market, became the impetus to consider how a tragedy like a fire, can lead to new ways of inspiring people and that’s what the first word of our mission is, to inspire people.

It was a privilege for Sinclair Hille Architects to lead in this design and reconstruction effort.  Helping our clients live out their mission is what we do.