Fire Rips Through Nearly 300-Year-Old Tavern In New Jersey

MENDHAM, NJ — The Black Horse Tavern & Pub in Mendham Borough, a restaurant with nearly 300 years of history, faced the threat of destruction as a fire ripped through parts of the structure Monday morning.

Black Horse Tavern & Pub, located at 1 W. Main Street in Mendham, dating back to 1742, making it New Jersey's longest continually-running restaurant, caught on fire just before 4 a.m., according to the Mendham Fire Department.

Mendham officials reported that when firefighters arrived at the scene, they encountered "heavy smoke" coming from the basement. Moments later, crews pulled a line to the basement to extinguish the fire, which was burning in the wall between the basement and the first floor.

Mendham Fire Department officials stretched a second line to the first floor and declared a "working structure fire," requesting mutual aid from neighboring towns.

The historic restaurant, currently closed for renovations, had no one inside during the fire. Units remained on scene for about two and a half hours to check for extension and extinguish hot spots, according to officials.

An investigation into the fire’s cause is ongoing, with the Mendham Borough Police and the Mendham Fire Department leading the inquiry.

Following the fire, the restaurant's Facebook and Instagram pages featured a video of a flag-raising with the caption: “Feeling extra patriotic this morning! Raising our flag to the brave first responders in Mendham and the surrounding towns for all their hard work!”

The Black Horse was originally the farmhouse home of Ebenezer Byram, one of Mendham's founding fathers. It opened as a tavern to travelers in 1742, with the current pub area serving as a stable for horses.

The current menu features a number of comforting pub favorites and dishes with a modern twist, as well as a sizable wine, beer and cocktail list. The Black Horse is currently owned by 40North Restaurants.