Old Tavern East Belfast, Maine 96

Old Tavern East Belfast, Maine 96

"Old Tavern East Belfast, Maine 96" Belfast, Old Tavern, East Belfast, Maine, 1951 "Black Horse Tavern, Route 1, East Belfast, 1800, Jerome Stephenson, proprietor." --Earle Shettleworth, 2011 The Black horse Tavern was opened in 1800 by Jerome Stephenson, one of Belfast's early settlers though not one of the proprietors. It served as an overnight stopping place for travelers passing through Belfast on the Georges Road, which was the trail between from Thomaston, on the Georges River, to Fort Pownall in the present Stockton Springs. Williamson's history described the road, at the end of the Revolutionary War, as "simply a bridle path indicated at first by spotted trees, but soon becoming a well warn path". Jerome had come to Belfast from New Hampshire at the end of the War, following his older brother Solon who had arrived ten years earlier. Solon had served three terms as First Selectman before the evacuation of the town in 1779 when the British threatened. Jerome later served as a selectman; and both brothers were prominent in the military and religious life of the community. they settled on the east side of the river, apparently acquiring Lot No. 25 which originally was drawn by Proprietor John Gilmore and on which the tavern was opened in 1800. the sign at Jerome's tavern matched the name: on each side of a thick block of wood, some two feet by three feet in size, was a black-painted horse, - but on one side the horse is running while on the other side he is standing still. Perhaps it was intended to suggest stopping for the night before going on again! The sign is still at the house. The story-and-a-half house is at the top of a curving hill on Searsport Avenue about two miles from Belfast, with a commanding view of the bay and of the Islesboro, Northport and Belfast shorelines. Many of Solon's and Jerome's descendants remained in the area. As for the tavern, after being in the possession of various members of the Stephenson family for many years, ownership later passed to Emory o. and Mary R. Pendleton; then to George E. Pendleton. Mrs. Harold (Christie B.) Newbert acquired the property from him in 1944, and a few months later sold it to Mr. & Mrs. William Johnson.