Built in 1810 on a colonial stagecoach stop, this Chester tavern is said to be haunted by the ghost of the founder's devout Methodist mother — killed by lightning through a church window — with apparitions, cold spots, and phantom perfume still reported by guests.
111 Main Street, Chester, NJ 07930
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Restaurant menu pricing applies for dining. Paranormal events are ticketed separately; check website for schedules.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic building with accessible main floor dining. Older stairways to upper floors may be narrow.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1810 · Built on colonial stagecoach route (Morristown to Delaware River) · Continuous tavern/hospitality use since 1810 · Local landmark in Chester's Main Street historic district
The site at 111 Main Street in Chester has operated as a traveler's accommodation since the colonial period, positioned at a convenient stop on the route connecting Morristown to the Delaware River and points west. Zephaniah Drake formalized this function when he constructed the Brick Tavern in 1810, giving the location its first substantial purpose-built structure after decades of serving as an informal stagecoach waypoint.
Drake came from a family with strong Methodist convictions — a denomination that, in the early nineteenth century, maintained firm positions against the serving of alcohol. The establishment of a tavern by Drake was, according to local tradition, a direct source of conflict with his devoutly Methodist mother. The story, repeated in multiple local accounts, holds that she believed her son's tavern work was spiritually dangerous and vocally opposed it until her death.
The manner of her death became the center of the location's ghost tradition. According to the accounts, she was killed by a lightning strike while sitting in a church — a death, as the story frames it, that struck the woman who was in the very act of seeking divine protection from her son's sinful enterprise. The irony was not lost on Chester's residents and has kept the story alive through multiple generations of tavern ownership.
The building operated under various names through the nineteenth century before being restored and reopened as the Publick House, its current name evoking the colonial tavern tradition. The restaurant and event venue has leaned into its haunted reputation, hosting organized paranormal investigation nights and positioning the ghost of Drake's mother as the primary entity associated with the building.
Sources
The haunting tradition at the Publick House is anchored to a specific story: Zephaniah Drake's mother, a devout Methodist who opposed her son's decision to operate a tavern selling alcohol, died from a lightning strike while inside a church. The narrative framing — that she died precisely while pursuing the spiritual protection she sought against her son's enterprise — gives the legend its staying power in Chester's oral history.
Staff and guests report four consistent categories of phenomena in the building. The first is visual: apparitions, typically described as a female figure, seen in the dining rooms and upper-floor areas. The second is auditory: low growling sounds reported in the building's older sections, without apparent source. The third is thermal: cold spots in specific areas of the building that do not correspond to drafts or ventilation. The fourth is olfactory: the smell of perfume in rooms where no one wearing perfume is present and where no fragrance source exists.
Haunted History Productions has hosted organized investigation events at the location under the 'Awakenings' series title, bringing structured paranormal investigation protocols to the building. The owners are publicly open about the haunting claims and market both haunted and non-haunted room options for overnight guests, treating the ghost tradition as an operational feature rather than an inconvenience. The NJ1015 radio feature on New Jersey's haunted restaurants included the Publick House among its primary entries, citing the Drake family backstory and the consistent staff reports.
Notable Entities
The Publick House operates as a full-service restaurant in a building that has served as a tavern since 1810. The colonial-era structure retains original architectural details from the Brick Tavern period. Guests can dine in rooms where the Drake family hauntings have been reported.
Haunted History Productions hosts ticketed paranormal investigation events at the Publick House ('Awakenings' series), covering the Drake family history, the legend of the Methodist mother killed by lightning, and active investigation of the building's reported phenomena including apparitions, growling, cold spots, and phantom perfume. Check hauntedhistoryproductions.com for current event dates.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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