Now many years later, his grandson is continuing that vision.

Brian Pender and his wife Erin own Northlake Development. The company just purchased the former House on the Hill and Watermark Restaurant, both on South Erie Street in Mayville. The House on the Hill was last open in 2019 while the Watermark was last open in 2022. There were a number of parcels that came with the sale, including a parking lot across the street.

“We just saw this opportunity. There was no reason for these buildings to be vacant,” Pender said.

Dr. Erin Pender is a full-time dentist and opened Chautauqua Lake Dental in 2023. “She took that abandoned old Freemason Lodge and turned it into a world class dental facility,” her husband said.

Erin and Brian Pender stand on the porch for the former House on the Hill on Mayville. They have a letter of intent for someone to operate a restaurant there beginning in May. P-J photo by Gregory Bacon

The practice has grown and they’ve been able to add an additional dentist and second hygienist.

While remodeling the former lodge, Pender said they realized they enjoy construction projects like this and are ready to do more.

COMING TO CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY

Brian and Erin had been living in the Chicago and Cleveland areas before coming to the area. Brian worked in the banking industry and Erin was a public school teacher.

They bought Brian’s grandfather’s residence as a vacation property and would come to Chautauqua County every chance they could. At the same time, Erin decided to go back to school and become a dentist.

As time went along, they saw the need for more dentists in Chautauqua County as well as developed a heart for the community.

“We were living in Cleveland, coming up here on the weekends. We found ourselves driving back to work at 5 a.m. Monday morning and was like, ‘Let’s just simplify and go here full time,” Pender said.

In 2018 they moved their family here. Erin was working for The Chautauqua Center in Jamestown before opening her own practice.

After coming to Chautauqua County, they quickly got involved.

Their children attended the Chautauqua Lake Childcare Center before going to Chautauqua Lake Central School District. “Chautauqua Lake School is not good or great – it’s elite, in my opinion,” Pender said.

Erin has joined the CLCS School Board of Education as well at the Chautauqua County Board of Health, while Brian is the president of the Mayville Area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Mayville-Chautauqua Comprehensive Planning Committee. “We’re ingrained in this community,” he said.

FORMER RESTAURANTS

Pender said they’re looking to get new operators for the former House on the Hill and the Watermark and will work with them whatever they need. “With our energy and the fact that we’re going to be here for the long run, we’ll be able to find the right people to run these,” he said.

For the House on the Hill property, Pender said they have a signed letter of intent with an operator.

Pender declined to identify the person at this time, but said the goal is for it to be open in May.

For the former Watermark Restaurant, Pender said they’re still looking for the right operator. “It’s a much bigger space so you’ve really got to find the right person. That’s really what we want to do – take people that have a desire and support them along the way. We don’t want to be an absentee landlord,” he said.

Pender said the Watermark “needs a little TLC” but for the most part it’s ready to go. He believes once the right person is identified the facility will be able to open fairly quickly.

HOUSING

Along with purchasing the former restaurants on Route 394, Pender said they purchased a house near the Webb’s mini-golf course. They have another property that is under contract. “We want to do a large-scale housing project – something that will help increase population density, and bring more people living here,” he said.

The parking lot across the street from the restaurants is 1.8 acres. “That could be a project as well,” he said.

When it comes to housing, Pender said they have a broad vision. “Whether it’s senior housing or workforce housing, apartments or condos, we think this area needs more of all of that,” he said.

Pender believes having more places to live will improve the community at large. “One of our tangible goals is to get Chautauqua Lake (School) up over 100 kids. That means we need more families and more people living here on a full-time basis,” he said.

He also sees a need for housing for older adults. Pender has a background in finance, lending, private equity, healthcare, mergers and acquisitions, and valuations. “Maybe I can leverage some of those relationships to find some operators to come in and run some senior housing,” he said.

Pender has talked with the county Planning Department and shared some of their goals, which he said they support.

Right now, Pender said they’re still in the planning stages for housing. “Hopefully by the end of this year we’ll have a good outline of what the concept or concepts we’re going to do, and then hopefully be moving forward sooner than later,” he said.

FAMILY HISTORY

Pender said he feels like he is continuing the vision started by his grandfather, Don Hogan. “My grandfather started the CCVB (Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau), he started the ice castle, so there’s a lot of things. After he sold Hogan’s Hut in the ’70s he gravitated toward the tourism industry. I think by taking on some of this, there’s a lot of pride that we have in this area,” he said.

While both have long passed away, Pender said some of his grandparents’ associates are still around. “He was a bus driver, so some of his friends are still alive. Some of the students he drove bus with are my wife’s patients now. Some of my mom’s teachers and classmates – she graduated from Chautauqua High School – are patients and friends of us now,” he said.

But as someone who grew up and worked outside of Chautauqua County, Pender said he believes he has a lot to offer. “There’s a lot of people that are bullish on the prospects of this area doing well. There’s a lot of optimism from people on the outside,” he said.