2. McGowan’s Pass Tavern Remnants

The Academy of Mount St. Vincent was built at the site of a former tavern, called the Black Horse Tavern but popularly referred to as McGowan’s (or McGown’s), the name of the family that ran the establishment. The road that ran by, McGowan’s Pass, was denoted in maps that date from the Revolutionary War into the early 20th century.

The original buildings of the Academy were repurposed as a hotel, a restaurant, a Civil War Hospital, and a museum but after the complex burned down, another tavern was constructed on the site, called McGown’s Pass Tavern that operated until its demolition between 1915 and 1917. According to the Central Park Conservancy, the driveway and foundation of the tavern remain in a section used by the Conservancy for mulching and composting. Following Hurricane Sandy, the spot was used as a temporary dumping site for park debris caused by the storm.