TAUNTON, N.Y. — A historic building just behind the Taunton Cider Mill has found new life as a bakery, blending more than a century of history with fresh bread and pastries.
The Clerk’s House, which opened on January 21st, now operates out of a renovated cottage that dates back over 100 years. While the bakery itself is new to the area, the building has long been part of the cider mill property and holds deep roots within the Taunton community.
The renovation process was extensive, transforming the aging structure into a fully functioning bakery while preserving the character that made it special in the first place. The renovation took more than over a year to complete.
TRANSCRIPT:
LUCIANO CALVOSA: Tucked away just behind the Taunton Cider
Mill, a new bakery is quickly becoming hard to miss.
The Clerk’s House opened its doors just
a week ago. But the building it calls home has been standing for more than 100
years. General manager Paul Hazard says bringing the space back to life meant respecting its history while giving it a whole new purpose.
PAUL HAZZARD: We always, you know,
they always had a dream that they wanted
to, you know, do something cool with this
space and so started reconstruction. Um, when we got the idea to do the bakery, started did a full rebuild,
um, remodel from the basement all the way up to the roof.
Everything was was rebuilt, but tried to keep intact a lot of the history of the place, uh, and kind of stay in touch with that.
CALVOSA: The renovated cottage now blends its original character with a modern bakery feel from
the ovens to the display cases. For co-owner Teresa Seeley, opening the bakery with her husband was about more
than baking. It was about creating something the community could call its own.
TERESA SEELEY: Incredibly. And and throughout our whole
journey with the Cider Mill, it’s all been about community. It’s been about
honoring the history of this property and the people that that built up a legend here,
but then also proving ourselves over more than 25 years of being in the business.
CALVOSA: Despite the location of the bakery being right behind the cider mill, customers
will continue to come in and check out all the bread and baked goods the
Clerk’s House has to offer.
In Taunton, Luciano Cavosa, NCC News.
Paul Hazzard, general manager of The Clerk’s House, says the vision for the space had been developing for years before construction began.
“The ownership always had a dream that they wanted to do something cool with this space,” Hazzard said. “When we got the idea to do the bakery, we did a full rebuild — from the basement all the way up to the roof. Everything was rebuilt, but we tried to keep a lot of the history of the place intact and stay in touch with that.”
According to Hazzard, the challenge was modernizing the structure without losing its identity. Many of the building’s original elements were preserved, allowing customers to experience the charm of the historic cottage while enjoying a newly designed interior built for baking and food service.
The cottage was once a living space for the owners, who stayed in the cottage for around 10 years before transforming into the bakery.
The Clerk’s House sits just steps away from the cider mill, making it a natural extension of a property that has been a destination for locals and visitors alike for decades. The bakery offers a variety of freshly baked goods made on site, with owners emphasizing quality, craftsmanship, and consistency.
For co-owner Teresa Seely, opening the bakery alongside her husband represents both a continuation of the cider mill’s legacy and building off of their success of owning the cider mill.
“Throughout our whole journey with the Cider Mill, it’s all been about community,” Seely said. “It’s about honoring the history of this property and the people that built a legend here, but also proving ourselves over more than 25 years of being in the business.”
Seely says the bakery was designed to feel welcoming — a place where customers can gather, connect, and enjoy something made fresh, while still feeling tied to the history of the property.
Since opening, The Clerk’s House has already drawn steady foot traffic, with customers stopping in after visiting the cider mill or coming specifically to see the renovated cottage.
Owners say the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive, reinforcing their belief that the bakery fills a unique space in Taunton.
As the bakery continues to settle into its new role, the goal remains the same: to respect the past while building something that will last for years to come.
“We got a really cool cozy vibe here,” Hazzard said. “A lot of effort went into curating this space. And staying in touch with our history, but also making it approachable and modern.”