Novotny's Saloon

In 1886 Antoine Novotny, one of the Bohemian founders of this community, built a bar on this site. Novotny’s Saloon was the social center of the city’s south side and headquarters of the Traverse City Hustlers semi-pro baseball team. In 1939 the business was purchased by William H. Dill, and the name changed to Dill’s. In the ensuing years, the adjacent meat market and vegetable stand were added to the preexisting establishment. The second floor was the home of both the Salvation Army and a dance hall. On April 22, 1978, a fire destroyed the original wood frame building. This near replica of that structure, which was completed ten weeks later, continues to be one of Traverse City’s social centers.