Boylan Bridge Brewpub owner hopes to reopen doors after wall collapse

Owner Andrew Leager said water pressure from a leaky sprinkler caused the wall to collapse on Feb. 10.

"The water went up on it, and the hydrostatic pressure was so great that it just all blew out in the middle, and then the top of it fell down on top of what was below," he said.

The restaurant was not damaged, but the patio is unstable. The wall that surrounds the patio is buckling, cracked and structurally unsafe below, Leager said.

"There is a very remote possibility that the wall could go ahead and collapse," he said.

Friends and neighbors, who consider the brewpub part of their family, have offered Leager sympathy and support.

When the wall collapsed, Leager said he was in the process of building the next phase of the brewpub - the Hargett Hill Distillery, a new venture.

While repairs could take six months or possibly longer, Leager acknowledges there is a very real possibility that the brewpub may not reopen.

"I get emotional about it," he said. "We've got a lot of prospects here, and we have built up a long way."

Insurance adjusters are still working to assess the damage. The power was turned back on Tuesday afternoon.