America's oldest watering holes

[cjk374]

For those who enjoy a cold adult beverage:

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/the-oldest-bar-in-every-state-in-america-98176755662.html

Anyone been to these historic places?

[Duke87]

I would not have guessed that a bunch of states still have an operating bar from the 18th century and that a couple from the 17th century even still exist. But then, I wonder how many of these places are actually in the original building. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't count if it's not in the original building, you can only count the place as being as old as the current standing structure.

The list explicitly states that one of these establishments occupies a building nearly 40 years younger than the establishment itself (because the original burned down), so clearly the people who compiled it aren't following this rule.


As to the question posed, no, I have not been to any of these places. As interesting as they seem, I have this habit of not combining alcohol consumption and road trips, for obvious reasons.

[6a]

The list explicitly states that one of these establishments occupies a building nearly 40 years younger than the establishment itself (because the original burned down), so clearly the people who compiled it aren't following this rule.

And the entry for Ohio is off by at least a decade (Jury Room, 1831.)

[english si]

Nothing survived (save one bar) from the 17th century? that's a shock. Everyone loved an inn in those days, and its not like there weren't roads and such like that would require such places, nor people to visit them or materials to build them.

When I turned 18 ten years ago, my town of less than 20k population had as many pubs from before 1776 than your whole country does now (9) - though it only has about 9 pubs in total now (the others have turned into restaurants or been demolished for housing).

[Duke87]

Nothing survived (save one bar) from the 17th century? that's a shock. Everyone loved an inn in those days, and its not like there weren't roads and such like that would require such places, nor people to visit them or materials to build them.

When I turned 18 ten years ago, my town of less than 20k population had as many pubs from before 1776 than your whole country does now (9) - though it only has about 9 pubs in total now (the others have turned into restaurants or been demolished for housing).

Not a shock at all. Your armies burned a lot of our pre-1776 structures down in the Revolutionary war. If you find a town with pre-revolutionary structures remaining there is a good chance it was a loyalist town. Otherwise the British army would have burned it when they arrived.

Likewise, a lot of southern towns lack structures that were built before 1865, because the union army torched them in the civil war.

Meanwhile, in 1776 for the most part only the east coast had been settled by Europeans. So in most of the country everything is newer than that by default because those towns had not been founded yet.

Also, the number of pre-1776 establishments surviving may be greater than 9, this list only lists the oldest one in each state. So if any state has multiple pre-revolutionary bars, the total is greater.

[mgk920]

I don't know where they found this place that opened in the mid-1890s in Milwaukee as being the 'oldest' in WI - there is a place just a couple of blocks from me here in Appleton (Fox River House) that is at least 20 years older.  It has undergone several ownership and name changes over the years, but it is still in its original building and aside from the Prohibition years, has pretty much operated continually since first opening as the Fox River House in 1870.  It is very popular with today's local hipster crowd.

There are a few other watering holes in central Appleton that also date back to the late 19th century.

Mike

[Pete from Boston]

Nothing survived (save one bar) from the 17th century? that's a shock. Everyone loved an inn in those days, and its not like there weren't roads and such like that would require such places, nor people to visit them or materials to build them.

When I turned 18 ten years ago, my town of less than 20k population had as many pubs from before 1776 than your whole country does now (9) - though it only has about 9 pubs in total now (the others have turned into restaurants or been demolished for housing).

You will always be older and more experienced than us.  We will always be younger and prettier. 

[Zeffy]

There used to be the old French Arms Tavern in Trenton, where the Congress of the Confederation would meet up back in 1784. (So, for a brief period of time, Trenton was the capital of the United States) The building itself I believe was built in 1730. Unfortunately, you're not going to find that building in the city today, because it's been replaced with a Wells Fargo branch. Oh well.

[Laura]

There used to be the old French Arms Tavern in Trenton, where the Congress of the Confederation would meet up back in 1784. (So, for a brief period of time, Trenton was the capital of the United States) The building itself I believe was built in 1730. Unfortunately, you're not going to find that building in the city today, because it's been replaced with a Wells Fargo branch. Oh well.

That reminds me of the 200 year old inn in Hunt Valley, MD that was replaced by a BB&T bank about 10-15 years ago. There was a high fine for tearing down the building; the bank saw it as a "cost of business" and paid for it.


iPhone

[Laura]

(Ack double post)

[1995hoo]

Nothing survived (save one bar) from the 17th century? that's a shock. Everyone loved an inn in those days, and its not like there weren't roads and such like that would require such places, nor people to visit them or materials to build them.

When I turned 18 ten years ago, my town of less than 20k population had as many pubs from before 1776 than your whole country does now (9) - though it only has about 9 pubs in total now (the others have turned into restaurants or been demolished for housing).

Not a shock at all. Your armies burned a lot of our pre-1776 structures down in the Revolutionary war. If you find a town with pre-revolutionary structures remaining there is a good chance it was a loyalist town. Otherwise the British army would have burned it when they arrived.

Likewise, a lot of southern towns lack structures that were built before 1865, because the union army torched them in the civil war.

Meanwhile, in 1776 for the most part only the east coast had been settled by Europeans. So in most of the country everything is newer than that by default because those towns had not been founded yet.

Also, the number of pre-1776 establishments surviving may be greater than 9, this list only lists the oldest one in each state. So if any state has multiple pre-revolutionary bars, the total is greater.

Also, don't forget this small matter of the Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition), which didn't help the fortunes of many drinking places.