Black Horse Inn Resource Page

Resources

• Black Horse Inn website
• Black Horse Inn RFP Request for Proposal for professional fundraiser
• Executive Report w/ Appendices (pdf, 2m) prepared by Kise Straw & Kolodner
• Construction Sequence (pdf) prepared by Kise Straw & Kolodner (see animation above)

Springfield Township has a rich history that we can be proud of. Celebrated historic buildings like the Black Horse Inn on Bethlehem Pike give Springfield its unique character and sense of place. Our history makes Springfield what it is, and makes us who we are. We must preserve our historic buildings to keep Springfield a beautiful and distinctive place to live. We must also preserve these reminders of life here to anchor our children in our heritage.

In 1744, Ben Franklin wrote in his Almanack, "He that drinks his Cyder alone, let him catch his Horse alone." Consistent with that sage advice, the oldest section of The Black Horse Inn was built, also in 1744, to provide "cyder" and camaraderie. Over time eight inns were located along a stretch of Historic Bethlehem Pike. Several survive, including the Wheel Pump (currently for sale), Halligan's Pub, the Springfield Hotel, the Clifton House (headquarters of the Fort Washington Historical Society), and the Black Horse Inn. However, this stretch of Bethlehem Pike is at risk of losing its historic flavor and of becoming another faceless commuter corridor. The Black Horse Inn is at the midpoint of this stretch and is the keystone to retaining the character of the corridor.

Currently, the historic Black Horse Inn is owned by the township and being renovated. (See Virtual Tour of the Renovations.) Under consideration is how best to put it to new use, with several upstairs offices. This is called adaptive reuse and is part of current best-practices in city planning. The building tells the vernacular story of working people drinking and transporting goods. Vernacular history is relatively new and is distinct from the preservation of great houses of great men in great times; rather it is common people who define who we are as a nation. It makes sense that our Springfield Historical Society now has its offices and archives here, with an exhibition space. Rental will never pay for the costs of renovations, but will pay for ongoing maintenance and we are actively working on getting at least one tenant into the Inn.

The cost of renovations were paid for with contributions from the community, federal and state matching grants (yes, you can match federal dollars with state dollars), corporate grants, and township moneys. The fund-raising efforts have been undertaken by private citizens and have been very successful to-date. The funds raised go entirely to support the Black Horse Inn, which is owned by, and an asset of the township. It belongs to you, the citizens of Springfield Township and it stands as an anchor to Historic Bethlehem Pike. Its preservation is this generation's contribution to retaining the story of where we came from, and its historic memory defines who we are today.

Listing (incomplete) of moneys raised, pledged, and committed to date.