WEST VILLAGE — The decorative arch that hung overhead at Chumley's for years was brought out of hiding to be restored to its former home, a neighborhood supporter said.
The return of the archway was documented in a video posted to the restaurant's Facebook page.
Monroe Smith, a supporter of the bar and resident of Bedford Street, retrieved the arch, which he said had been "hidden in a deep, dark place."
"The framework had been put up, and I was called and I know where it was," he said. "So I went and got it."
Smith has been, in his own words, the "primary neighborhood advocate" of the embattled bar, which has faced opposition from neighborhood residents determined to see it shuttered for good.
The historic bar, which dates back to Prohibition and was a favorite haunt of neighborhood writers and local firefighters alike, was forced to close nearly a decade ago when a wall collapsed.
Chumley's owner Jim Miller, a retired firefighter stationed at a firehouse down the street, recently turned majority control and management of the business over to Sushi Nakazawa owner Alex Borgognone to facilitate its reopening.
Miller said the passing of the reins, which caused consternation with some regulars who want the bar to open exactly how it was, was necessary to appease people fighting his liquor license renewal: wealthier residents who have moved into the neighborhood and did not want a bar like Chumley's on Bedford Street any longer.
Though the State Liquor Authority still has not issued the bar a liquor license, Smith said the return of the arch is a positive sign for its reopening, projected for April.
"That portends well, because that’s the first part of the memorabilia, old materials, which were owned by Chumley’s going back into the building, which is not owned by Chumley’s," Smith said.