A one-story cape, the Black Horse Tavern consists of post-and-beam frame construction. It sits on a fieldstone foundation and is topped with a side-gabled roof and central chimney. It is covered with clapboard siding, and common to its era, has an unadorned entryway. The Black Horse Tavern opened in 1800. Its owner, Jerome Stephenson, came to Belfast in 1784 after serving in the Revolutionary War. One year later, he became one of the town's selectmen. During the 1790s, Stephenson unsuccessfully advocated for partial separation from Belfast because he and his family, which consisted of his wife and twelve children, had settled on the east side of the Passagassawakeag River. At age sixty-two, due to the growing need to accommodate a growing number of travelers, Stephenson converted part of his home to a public house, which offered food and drink for sale to travelers. The tavern was operated by Stephenson's youngest son and grandson until 1852. The original signboard of the Black Horse now hangs within the house.
Year Listed: 1982
For more information: https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=3a45be4f-06d8-4b89-b474-c27328ac4d13