The flooding from Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 crushed any immediate plans Gary Barnes had of opening a microbrewery at the historic Harmony Inn restaurant.

"It was all we could do just to stay open," he said. "But we never gave up the dream."

Now he's a step closer to that goal.

The Harmony Historic Architectural Review Board approved plans this month for changes to Harmony's lone restaurant and pub.

Harmony's historic designation means business owners must work with the review board to ensure building changes fit in with the town's appearance.

The plans have been scaled back from what they were in 2004, said Mr. Barnes, co-owner of the Harmony Inn. The project no longer involves building an addition but simply enclosing the back porch and installing a large picture window to allow patrons to see the brewing equipment.

The siding, paint and roofing of the new space will match the rest of the building, Mr. Barnes said.

The project will enable the restaurant to update its kitchen.

"The kitchen is old," he said. "It's a disaster."

Carl Beers, Mr. Barnes' business partner, said they were waiting to receive the $86,000 loan the restaurant recently was awarded through the state Department of Agriculture's PAgrows program, which allows businesses to expand tourism or agriculture-based operations.

Mr. Barnes said the beer would be made under the name Murdering Town Brewing in deference to Harmony's history. Murdering Town was a Delaware Indian village that was said to have been visited by George Washington during his 1753 mission to demand French withdrawal from the territory.

When the new brews are available, perhaps as early as fall, the inn will stop serving all other draft beers, Mr. Beers said. The restaurant will continue to sell other brands in bottles.

The Harmony Inn microbrewery would be the third in Butler County, joining Hereford and Hops Steakhouse in Cranberry and North Country Brewing in Slippery Rock. Mr. Barnes said he was not concerned that the market is becoming saturated.

"Not at all," he said. "We're unique because we are already existing.

"And we have a liquor license that dates to the 1890s."