HISTORY

York Tavern is believed to be the oldest continuously operating privately owned eating and drinking establishment in Dupage County.

The York Tavern, built in1843 by Benjamin Fuller, stands in its original location on the west side on York Road, north of the Salt Creek Bridge. It is a key remnant of a complex of buildings that remain from the original village of Fullersburg. Fullersburg, originally known as Brush Hill, was the fourth community in DuPage County to be platted when Benjamin Fuller laid it out in 1851. The village stands at a key junction of several important transportation routes used by the Potawatomi: York Road, Ogden Avenue and Spring Road were all in place when Ben Fuller first visited the area in 1834.

By 1850...

By 1850, when the Plank Road was laid along the route of Ogden Avenue, Fullersburg was a thriving community with 15-20 houses, 2 hotels, 3 taverns, a blacksmith shop, a grist mill, a school, a post office and a cemetery. At just a day's wagon ride away from Chicago, the village was a key stop on traveler's routes.

Living history

Stagecoach service, horseback riders, over 500 teams with wagons and regular cattle drives all passed through Fullersburg. Today, the 1843 Fuller House, the 1843 York Tavern, the 1852 Graue grist mill, the 1869 Graue House and the 1878 church still stand as testaments to this once-thriving village center

Historical rehabilitation

The Farmer's Home, first licensed by the county in 1846, served the community as a grocery store and tavern. The Farmer's Home, now known as the York Tavern, was historically rehabilitated in 2006. The York Tavern is believed to be the oldest continuously operating privately owned eating and drinking establishment in DuPage County.