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Deer Park Tavern

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Coordinates: 39°40′59″N 75°45′22″W / 39.683184°N 75.755982°W / 39.683184; -75.755982
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Deer Park Hotel
Deer Park Tavern, April 2010
Deer Park Tavern is located in Delaware
Deer Park Tavern
Deer Park Tavern is located in the United States
Deer Park Tavern
Location108 W. Main St., Newark, Delaware
Coordinates39°40′59″N 75°45′22″W / 39.683184°N 75.755982°W / 39.683184; -75.755982
Area0.7 acres (0.28 ha)
Built1851
Architectural styleGreek Revival
MPSNewark MRA
NRHP reference No.82002341[1]
Added to NRHPMay 7, 1982

Deer Park Tavern is a historic hotel located at Newark in New Castle County, Delaware. It was built in 1851 on the land where the remains of the burned down St. Patrick's Inn had resided since 1747.[2] It is a 3+1⁄2-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 elements. It was converted from a hotel in the mid-20th century, and enjoys the college atmosphere of the nearby University of Delaware campus.[3]

The St. Patrick's Inn was said to house famous historical figures such as George Washington[4] and in 1843 Edgar Allan Poe stayed a night here.[5][better source needed] The Deer Park logo is based on Poe's classic poem "The Raven".[6] It is said that Poe fell in some mud, cursed the tavern and its patrons and haunts the building to this day. [7]

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.[8]

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 before the Civil War.[9]

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 University of Delaware 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 and the Delaware Destroyers played the back room.[10] On October 5, 2010 MSNBC political TV show The Rachel Maddow Show 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 in 1982.[1]

Pop culture

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In season six episode 2 of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia ("Dennis Gets Divorced") Mac is seen wearing a Deer Park tee shirt.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ "Then&Now: Deer Park Tavern". delawareonline. 2014-03-09. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
  3. ^ Cesna, Valerie; Bahr, Betsy (December 1982). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Deer Park Hotel". National Park Service. Retrieved 2010-04-20.
  4. ^ Lathrop, Elise (1968) [1907]. "Early American inns and taverns". B. Blom. p. 204. OCLC 747308993. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
  5. ^ "The Deer Park Tavern - About". www.deerparktavern.com. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
  6. ^ Cormier, Ryan (2017-05-08). "Yea or Nay: Deer Park Tavern's new logo". delawareonline. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
  7. ^ "Drink with the Ghost of Poe".
  8. ^ Mackenzie, John. "A brief history of the Mason-Dixon Line". www1.udel.edu. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
  9. ^ Smardz, Zofia (2007-05-23). "Newark, Del.: Next Time, Get Off the Exit". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
  10. ^ Simmons, Karie (2015-08-26). "George Thorogood fan selling musician's former Newark home". Newark Post. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
  11. ^ Nails, Katherine (2017-12-05). "A Brief History of Deer Park Tavern – The Review". The Review. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
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