The new owners of The Willow Tree at 1900 W. State Route 571 just west of Tipp City are restoring the property and will host weddings, banquets and other gatherings this summer and beyond.

Ben Bickert and his wife Erin have a sentimental attachment to The Willow Tree — they had their wedding reception there 12 years ago. Two months ago, the couple upgraded to a business attachment when they purchased the five-acre property.

The original section of the home on the property was built in 1830 as a manor house, and after an expansion and renovation in the 1850s, the home became a part of the Underground Railroad, Bickert said. More recently, the home was restored and transformed into a bed-and-breakfast, which closed about a year ago, Bickert said. He and his wife intend to use the homestead as their private residence.