Renovations still on track for 300-year-old NJ restaurant despite fire

Morris County fire crews worked quickly to extinguish a fire at a nearly 300-year-old Mendham restaurant early Monday morning.

The blaze at The Black Horse Tavern & Pub in Mendham was reported at 3:50 a.m. Monday, according to a Facebook post from the Mendham Fire Department. Responding crews discovered a "heavy smoke condition" and dispatched lines to the basement and first floor of the building.

No one was inside the building at the time of the fire, and the blaze was quickly extinguished. Firefighters remained at the scene for approximately two and a half hours to put out any hot spots, the post stated.

The Pub, opened in 1742, has been closed to the public since March as it undergoes renovations. A spokeswoman for the eatery called it the "oldest continuously running restaurant in New Jersey" when the temporary closure was announced.

The Pub expressed gratitude to the first responders on Facebook Monday hours after the fire, sharing that it was "feeling extra patriotic" while raising an American Flag on Labor Day. A subsequent post Tuesday morning stated that the firefighters' "prompt response" helped minimize the damage to the building.

"We are working closely with our team to address the damage to the Tavern and continue our exciting updates," the post read. "We want to reassure you that, despite this setback, our renovation plans for the Pub are still on schedule. We cannot thank you enough for your support and we look forward to welcoming you back to a revitalized Black Horse Pub in late Fall."

Agencies assisting in the fire response include the Mendham Borough Police Department, First Aid Squad and Fire Prevention Bureau; the Mendham Township First Aid Squad; the Brookside and Ralston engine companies in Mendham Township; and the fire departments in Chester, Randolph and Flanders.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, the Mendham Fire Department said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Renovations still on track for 300-year-old NJ restaurant despite fire