Rhode Island's White Horse Tavern: 350 Years of History

The White Horse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island, is the oldest operating restaurant in the United States and ranks as the 10th-oldest in the world. The establishment opened in 1673, predating the Revolutionary War, the Salem witch trials, and the existence of the United States itself.

The tavern sits in a two-story wood-frame building on Marlborough Street, a structure that has survived more than three centuries of American history. It operated through the colonial era, the American Revolution, the Civil War, and into the modern age. The building was originally a private residence before becoming a tavern, and it served as a meeting place for the Rhode Island General Assembly and the Newport City Council in the 18th century.

During the Revolutionary War, British forces occupied Newport and used the tavern as a barracks. The building survived the occupation and the subsequent war, continuing its operation as a public house. In the 19th century, the tavern fell into disrepair and was nearly demolished. A restoration effort in the 1950s saved the structure and returned it to its original function.