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White Horse Tavern
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White Horse Tavern in 2008
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| Location: | Newport, Rhode Island |
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| Built: | before 1673 |
| Architect: | Unknown |
| Architectural style: | No Style Listed |
| Governing body: | Private |
| NRHP Reference#: | 72000032[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | February 23, 1972 |
The White Horse Tavern, constructed before 1673 in Newport, Rhode Island, is one of the oldest tavern buildings in the United States.[2] It is located on the corner of Farewell and Marlborough streets in Newport.
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Frances Brinley constructed the original building on the site in 1652.[2] In 1673, the lot was sold to William Mayes, and the building was enlarged to become a tavern.[2] The building was also used for large meetings, including use as a Rhode Island General Assembly meeting place, a court house, and a city hall.[2] William Mayes, Sr., obtained a tavern license in 1687 and William Mayes, Jr., a well-known pirate, operated the tavern through the early eighteenth century.[2] The operation was named "The White Horse Tavern" in 1730 by owner Jonathan Nichols.[2] During the American Revolution, Tories and British troops were quartered there around the time of the British occupation and the Battle of Rhode Island.[2] After years of neglect as a boarding house, Newport's Van Bueren family donated money to the private Preservation Society of Newport to restore the building in 1952.[2] After the restoration, the building was sold and once again operated as a private tavern and restaurant.[2] As of 2008, it still remains a popular drinking and dining location.[1]
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