MAUMEE – In the heart of Maumee’s uptown district, Levi & Lilac’s has built a reputation as both a whiskey destination and a gathering place steeped in history.
The historic 190-year-old building has been owned by Megan McClellan and her husband, Sean McClellan, for nearly seven years. When the space became available in Uptown Maumee, curiosity turned into commitment for the couple. “Through each step of the process, we were like, ‘Okay, well, let’s just go a little bit further,’ and next thing you know, we had a restaurant,” she said.
The building itself acts as a cornerstone for Levi & Lilac’s distinct character. Constructed in 1836, it has served various roles throughout Maumee’s early development, from general store to post office. “It’s said to have housed pre-presidency Abraham Lincoln…[Ulysses S.] Grant,” McClellan said. Local lore also suggests ties to the Underground Railroad and Prohibition-era smuggling.
The building’s layered past ultimately inspired the name. “Often Sean and myself get asked if we are Levi and Lilac, and we are definitely not,” McClellan said…