The Black Tavern is an historic tavern at 138-142 Dudley Center Road in

Dudley, Massachusetts Dudley is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,921 at the 2020 census. History Dudley was first settled in 1714 and was officially incorporated in 1732. The town was named for landholders Paul and Will ...

. The main block of the tavern was built c. 1803, and is one of the town's finest examples of Federal period architecture. It originally housed a major stop on the stagecoach route between Boston, Massachusetts and

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

. It is now maintained by a local preservation organization, and was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1985. In 2010 the listing was expanded to include the adjacent barn and annex, which the society acquired in 2000.

Description and history

The Black Tavern is located in the town center of Dudley, at the northeast corner of Dudley Center and Tanyard Roads, just north of the

Nichols College Nichols College is a private business college in Dudley, Massachusetts. Founded in 1815 as Nichols Academy, Nichols College offers both bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as certificate programs. History Nichols Academy The instituti ...

campus. It is a 2-1/2 story wood frame structure, with a gabled roof and clapboarded exterior. Its main block is five bays wide, with a center entrance framed by symmetrically placed sash windows. A two-story ell extends to the left side, with a four-bay facade. A single-story porch extends across the full width of both of these sections. The main entrance has a finely detailed Federal period surround, including fluted pilasters and a half-round transom window. Dudley was about halfway between

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

and

, and was a major stopping point on the stagecoach route. The tavern was built about 1803-04 by Hezekiah Healy, and served both the transient stage traveler as well as local residents. The building was given its name after Healy supposedly decided to paint it black, reasoning that that color required less maintenance. The building was extended by an ell to the rear in 1810 and another to the left side in 1835. The porch running across its front that was added c. 1890. In the 20th century the building was used by nearby

as a dormitory until 1980, after which it was given to the Black Tavern Society, a local nonprofit established to preserve the structure.

References

External links

The Black Tavern - Dudley, MA - The Black Tavern Historical Society
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Commercial buildings completed in 1803 Drinking establishments on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Worcester County, Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Dudley, Massachusetts

Description and history

See also

References

External links