Deer Park Tavern is a historic

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

located at

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

New Castle County, Delaware New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...

. It was built in 1851 on the land where the remains of the burned down St. Patrick's Inn had resided since 1747. It is a -story "U"-plan building with nine bays at the south front facade. The building is constructed of wood joists with brick and masonry load bearing walls with

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

elements. It was converted from a hotel in the mid-20th century, and enjoys the college atmosphere of the nearby

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...

campus. The St. Patrick's Inn was said to house famous historical figures such as

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

and in 1843

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

stayed a night here. The Deer Park logo is based on Poe's classic poem "

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a myste ...

". It is said that Poe fell in some mud, cursed the tavern and its patrons and haunts the building to this day. In the Fall of 1764, Mason and Dixon made their base of operations in Delaware at the St. Patrick's Tavern in Newark, where the Deer Park Tavern now stands. Tavern scenes in Thomas Pynchon's 1997 novel Mason & Dixon are consistent with at least one contemporary account of their enjoyment of the taproom. The first railroad line built through Newark in 1869 is close to the building, and helped to escalate the hotel's popularity. At this time, The Deer Park was considered one of the finest hotels on the east coast. Much history surrounds the Deer Park including rumors that the basement was used as part of the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...

before the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. In 1955, the Amalgamated and Condensed Chemist's Club charter at the University of Delaware's founding chapter was written in the old dining room of the Deer Park. Founders, "in the good old Boswellian tradition", included Carling, LePera, Jordan, Lafferty, Baldwin, Hoffner, Baird, Skinner, deBrabender and Wilson. Today, the patrons include

students and staff, business people and locals. The nightly atmosphere varies with bands, DJs and drink specials that bring a hefty crowd each night of the week. In the 1970s, local bands such as

George Thorogood George Lawrence Thorogood (born February 24, 1950) is an American musician, singer and songwriter from Wilmington, Delaware. His "high-energy boogie-blues" sound became a staple of 1980s rock radio, with hits like his original songs "Bad to the ...

and the Delaware Destroyers played the back room. On October 5, 2010 MSNBC political TV show ''

The Rachel Maddow Show ''The Rachel Maddow Show'' (also abbreviated ''TRMS'') is an American liberal news and opinion television program that airs on MSNBC, running in the 9:00 pm ET timeslot Monday evenings. It is hosted by Rachel Maddow, who gained a public pr ...

'' broadcast its show live from the second floor of the Deer Park, which was chosen due to Delaware's upcoming U.S senatorial election. Maddow remarked on her show: "we live for the intersection of politics and beer". It was added to 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 1982.

Pop culture

In season six episode 2 of ''

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and developed by McElhenney and Glenn Howerton that premiered on August 4, 2005 on FX and later FXX beginning with the ninth season in 2013. It stars Charlie ...

'' ("Dennis Gets Divorced") Mac is seen wearing a Deer Park tee shirt.

References

External links

* {{University of Delaware Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Delaware Restaurants in Delaware Taverns in Delaware University of Delaware Buildings and structures in Newark, Delaware Railway hotels in the United States Hotel buildings completed in 1851 Hotels established in 1851 1851 establishments in Delaware National Register of Historic Places in New Castle County, Delaware