Red Horse Tavern

Red Horse Tavern is a historic inn and tavern near Aurora in Preston County, West Virginia. It is also known by the names Brookside Inn and The Old Stone House. The building was constructed between 1825 and 1827, originally as a private dwelling, and began operating as a public inn in 1841. Its location along the Northwestern Turnpike placed it within an important early transportation corridor and enabled the property to serve travelers. The structure is a stone building made from rubble stone, with a large room on the ground floor, three rooms on the upper floor, and an attic. Red Horse Tavern is principally significant as a preserved historic property rather than as a documented national hospitality chain or contemporary consumer brand. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and the registered property's boundary was expanded in 1979. The tavern is also located within the Brookside Historic District. Available reference material does not establish a current operator, ownership structure, operating status, website, executive team, financial profile, or broader commercial footprint. Its documented identity is therefore tied to its historic building, former role as a turnpike inn, and place within West Virginia's architectural and transportation history.

Red Horse Tavern is a historic inn and tavern located near Aurora in Preston County, West Virginia. The building dates from the period between 1825 and 1827, when it was constructed as a dwelling. Its later conversion into a public inn occurred in 1841, when it began serving travelers using the Northwestern Turnpike. This transition reflects the role of roadside inns in nineteenth-century transportation networks, providing a place for travelers to stop along a major route. The property is a rubble-stone structure with a relatively compact historic layout. The documented interior arrangement includes one large room on the ground floor, three rooms on the second floor, and an attic above. The building is also associated with the names Brookside Inn and The Old Stone House, indicating that it has been identified in historical records and local usage by more than one name. The tavern's modern historical importance is primarily architectural and contextual. Rather than being documented as a national restaurant chain or a broad commercial brand, it is recognized as a surviving historic inn and tavern connected to the development of travel infrastructure in West Virginia. Its location near Aurora and within the Brookside Historic District places it within a wider preserved historic setting. Red Horse Tavern was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The National Register boundary associated with the property was expanded in 1979. The available reference material does not provide reliable information about the property's current business operations, present ownership, restoration work beyond the registration history, or whether it continues to function as an operating tavern or inn. Those aspects should be verified through local preservation records or current county and historic-district sources before being added to the profile.

• 1979

  National Register boundary expanded

  [1]Red Horse Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  The National Register boundary associated with the property was increased.

• 1973

  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

  [1]Red Horse Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  Red Horse Tavern received recognition through listing on the United States National Register of Historic Places.

• 1841

  Opened as a public inn

  [1]Red Horse Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  The property began operating as a public inn serving travelers on the Northwestern Turnpike.

• 1827

  Historic building completed

  [1]Red Horse Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  The stone building is documented as having been completed by approximately 1827.

• 1825

  Construction period begins

  [1]Red Horse Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  The building that later became Red Horse Tavern was constructed as a dwelling during the period beginning around 1825.

A historic West Virginia roadside inn and tavern associated with the Northwestern Turnpike and the Brookside Historic District.

• Hospitality · 1841

  Historic inn and tavern

  The property's documented commercial identity is that of a roadside inn and tavern. It historically provided hospitality for travelers using the Northwestern Turnpike after opening to the public in 1841. The available material does not specify a surviving menu, lodging capacity, beverage program, or current operating format.

1. 1Red Horse Tavernen.wikipedia.org