The Old '76 House
Tappan, New York · Colonial America · Est. 1668 · Open today
Since 1668
Local tradition holds that the '76 House was built in 1668 by Tappan's Dutch founders and served as the town's public house to help secure its land patent, though owner Rob Norden cites 1686 as the first documented year and historians date the present structure to 1754, built as a home and tavern by Casparus Mabie. The building is best known as the 1780 prison of Major John Andre, the British spy captured in Benedict Arnold's plot to betray West Point, who was held there before his execution; General Nathanael Greene also used the building as a headquarters. It is a contributing property to the Tappan Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. Rob Norden acquired and painstakingly restored the building in 1987, and the Norden family still runs it as a colonial-style tavern and restaurant with live music, four fireplaces, and a garden patio.
Major John Andre — the British spymaster in Benedict Arnold's treason plot — was imprisoned in this building in 1780 before his execution, the event that anchors its Revolutionary War fame.
What to order: A famous Sunday brunch and nightly live music in a restored colonial taproom warmed by four fireplaces.
How solid is the claim?
New York’s oldest bar — the evidence
The Old '76 House in Tappan is our featured pick for the oldest bar in New York, with a claimed founding year of 1668. The 1668 date rests on local tradition; even owner Rob Norden has said 1686 is the first year the building is documented, and Wikipedia and historians date the present structure to 1754, built as a home and tavern by Casparus Mabie. Its 'oldest tavern in America / New York' branding therefore faces both documentary challenges and rival in-state claims from Fraunces Tavern, McSorley's, and the Ear Inn.
Competing Claims
Other New York establishments with a stake in the title: