The Black Horse Inn

Drawing of the inn by local artist Sally Yates. Click picture for enlargement.

First stop on the Philadelphia-to-Bethlehem stagecoach line was the Black Horse Inn (a.k.a. Black Horse Tavern) located at 1432 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown, Pennsylvania. The original structure is reported to have been built in the mid eighteenth century. The first section served farmer, lime-carrier, and traveler, and later, stagecoach passengers. With the growth of trade and travel, the inn was expanded in the early nineteenth century. Prior to 1840 it was known as the Sampson and the Lion. The McCloskey family owned the inn from 1880 through 1990, for three generations. It was a stop for farmers, when grain was taken to the local flourmills in Flourtown, and later used for meetings of the Society for the Apprehension of Horse Thieves, township commissioners, voting and horse trading. Until about 1980, cattle grazed on the lawn next door, part of the inn's property.

Representative Lawrence Curry Presents $500,000 State Grant for Historic Black Horse Inn Read more...

Photo © Don Mitchell

From left, Bill Mebane (Black Horse Inn Advisory Committee member), Dick Meyer (Chair Construction Subcommittee & Friends of Historic Bethlehem Pike, Friends Board Member), James Mascaro (Chair BHIAC), Sen. Vince Hughes, Bob Gillies (Twp. Commissioner), Rep. Larry Curry, Ellen Manning (Founding Board Member of Friends), Kathleen Lunn (Twp. Commissioner), Cindy Hamilton (BHIAC member) w/ son, Jane Roberts (former Twp. Commissioner & Friends Board Member). In rear, Andrew Glendinning (BHIAC member) and Don Mitchell (Friends President & Board Member) w/ daughter.

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To participate with your TIME and SKILLS, please contact the appropriate person:

Committee	Committee Mission	Committee Lead	Contact Information
Public Relations	Develop and execute PR campaign to raise public awareness of Black Horse Inn restoration activities and their progress.	Don Mitchell	(215) 651-4280 ddirect@earthlink.net
Fundraising	Spearhead campaigns and events to raise money, materials, and volunteers for the activities necessary to restore the BHI.	John Alviti	((215) 233-2401 jalviti@fi.edu
Use	Solicit and review requests for potential occupants of a restored BHI. Will make final recommendation of potential occupants.	Peter Wilson	(215) 233-1488 pwilson@scullycompany.com
Contractor Coordination	Develop, coordinate, and execute plan for all BHI construction and restoration activities.	Andrew Glendinning	(215) 836-2636 aglendinning@msn.com

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