Historic Publick House: A Chester Borough Gem

CHESTER, NJ — With just one glance, you'll understand why the Publick House is one of the most iconic restaurants and historical landmarks in Chester.

The historic Publick House has withstood wars, pandemics, the Great Depression, and the Great Recession. Following the recent takeover by Restaurant Village Hospitality Group, it now shines as a result of years of renovations and offers an elevated steakhouse menu.

The charming building at the intersection of Main Street and Hillside Road, originally known as the Zephaniah Drake Brick Hotel, was built around 1810 by Zephaniah Drake and Jacob Drake, Jr.

Before the American Revolution and for the next century, Chester was an important stagecoach stop on the route from New York, New Brunswick, and Morristown to Phillipsburg.

The Publick House was built as a "fancy" public accommodation.

In its lengthy history, the location has housed a variety of businesses and has been considered one of Morris County's most noticeable historic properties.

For example, it was a stagecoach stop for many years, and in the early 1850s, Daniel Budd and Theodore Perry Skellenger paid $3650 for the hotel with the intention of building a fine new school, according to the Chester Historical Society.

William Rankin expanded the tavern and converted it into the Chester Institute, a classical college preparatory school, in 1854. Since 1870, the property has been used as a hotel and restaurant.

The building was registered in 1940 under the National Historic Registry as a “historic American building.”

For more than 200 years, the inn and its dining areas have been a popular destination for local friends and families to return to year after year.

The historic Federal-style building was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened last fall under new ownership.

The Restaurant Village Hospitality Group has transformed the area and recently reopened the upper level of the building's hotel suites. The hotel has nine newly renovated suites, eight one-bedroom suites that sleep up to four people and one two-bedroom suite that sleeps up to six people.

The Publick House, which is now called PH Steakhouse is located at 111 Main Street and may be reached by calling (908) 955-7911 or visiting www.phsteakhouse.com.