Historic Note: Hook Tavern, Capon Bridge, WV

Remains of Hook Tavern, Capon Bridge, WV
(Photo March 4, 2025)

Of all my posts under the rubric of "Alas, Too Late," there is no more tragic an entry than Hook Tavern. The National Register of Historic Places location, lies 150 miles southeast of the house we moved into in April of 2022, just east of the town of Capon Bridge in the New Hampshire County of West Virginia. I would find upon approaching it with my visiting parents in March of 2025 that it had been burned down by arson just six months after our move to the area. Indeed, I quickly realized that I had passed and even stopped to photograph the striking remains on an earlier trip, having no idea what they were. There is no plaque or outward sign of its history on the property.

From the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form I learned the following:

"It is estimated that the rear ell of the inn was constructed first, c.1765. The interior fireplace in this section, between the kitchen and dining area, is constructed massively with large pintle hooks for pots and pans. The end gable chimneys on the main, front section are exterior stone chimneys, suggesting they were constructed before the nineteenth century when brick chimneys grew in popularity (c.1790). Based on their style, the windows and porches appear to date to the 1840s, likely 1848 when Samuel Hook obtained ownership."

Hook Tavern, Capon Bridge, WV
(Pre-fire photo from the Registration Form
for the National Register of Historic Places)

"The inn is located in an area that George Washington originally surveyed between 1749 and 1752."

"While it is difficult to ascertain precisely when each section was built, the exterior trim indicates that it was fully completed by the 1840s. Shortly thereafter, in 1848, the building was conveyed to Samuel Hook and John B. Sherrard. Hook and Sherrard operated the inn as a full service hotel applying for their first license in 1848. In 1862 Hook reapplied alone for a license to operate the inn."

"Hook’s Tavern operated throughout the Civil War and was briefly used as a Confederate hospital for 80 sick soldiers under the command of J.A. Hunter. Severe weather forced Hunter to commandeer Hook’s Inn and his firewood on February 3, 1862."

"Hook’s Tavern was last refurbished in 1956, and closed a few years after that. The tavern remained in the

Hook family and in use until 1987. It has opened for special events occasionally since then."

It was a sad visit indeed.

Est. 1848 - Building constructed: c.1765

Articles: TheClio - National Register - wikipedia - historicnewhampshire