{"nrhp_refnum":"78002331","name":"Black Horse Tavern","other_names":["Bream's Tavern"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"W of Gettysburg on PA 116","address_restricted":false,"city":"Gettysburg","county":"Adams County","state":"PA","lat":39.81887740500008,"lon":-77.28358504499994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-03-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"The Black Horse Tavern is a two-story stone house with a two-story rear wing on the banks of Marsh Creek, near Gettysburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1812 and operated as a tavern for about 65 years, and it is now used as a private residence.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the tavern is significant for its role on the Hagerstown Road, a drover and stagecoach route, where it served travelers and as a center for community news. It also served as a Confederate headquarters before the Battle of Gettysburg and as a hospital afterward, and it is noted for its little-altered appearance.","narrative":"Built of stone in 1812 beside Marsh Creek, the Black Horse Tavern is a two-story house with a two-story wing at the rear, three chimneys and gable roofs. Its walls, with their color and pattern of stone, are the main decoration. The tavern was owned by the McClellan family before Francis Bream bought it in 1845, when it had already operated for about 33 years. Located on the Hagerstown Road, it housed drovers moving cattle to New York City and stagecoach passengers, and travelers carved their names and dates into its walls. Its painted wooden horse gave the tavern its name. Confederate General Lee used it as his headquarters the day before the Battle of Gettysburg. Afterward its buildings served as hospitals for wounded soldiers. The tavern was an important part of the area's transportation system and a center for local news. Today it remains a private residence and has been little altered from its earlier appearance.","period_of_significance":"1812-1865","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Used today as a private residence and has been little altered from its earlier appearance.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:28.988424-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/78002331.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002331/550d5fefb8-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002331/550d5fefb8-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Frederick Tilberg","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Horse_Tavern_near_Gettysburg.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Frederick Tilberg</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Horse_Tavern_near_Gettysburg.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"75000155","name":"Gettysburg Battlefield Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/gettysburg-battlefield-historic-district-75000155/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71995659","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Horse_Tavern_(Gettysburg,_Pennsylvania)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4921011"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/adams-county/black-horse-tavern-78002331/"}