CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The “brewery side” of Blackhorse Pub & Brewery’s restaurant on Franklin Street will be restored to its original façade as part of its post-fire rebuild, thanks in part to some photos unearthed by a Clarksville historian.
Blackhorse suffered a major fire in March 2021, destroying the roof and flooding much of the restaurant, which occupies two adjoining buildings, 134 and 132 Franklin St. They have been closed ever since, but owners Jeff and Sherri Robinson have been hard at work on renovations to reopen.
A piece of history
Last week, local historian Randy Rubel uncovered a photo of the original 134 Franklin St. facade and shared it to the “I Remember Clarksville Way Back When” Facebook Page.
Rubel found the image in a booklet printed in the mid-1930s as an ad for M.L. Cross Co., which once operated out of the building. He believes the facade from the image dates back to the Great Fire of 1878 that destroyed a large portion of downtown.
The Robinsons plan to restore the original façade, for the most part, during the reconstruction efforts. They couple said it was important to them to preserve the history of downtown’s architecture.
“(On Franklin Street) all those buildings have a similar character, and they’ve got a certain look,” Jeff Robinson told Clarksville Now. “For 134 Franklin in particular, it made sense to us for it to have that character it originally had. Especially when Sherri found that picture of how nice it did look, it was basically a no-brainer.”
“Our 132 building is really beautiful, and it has its original facade for the most part,” Sherri Robinson said. “We’ve always loved that building and wished that the 134 building had retained its original character. Modern is cool, and there’s a place for modern too. But for that particular building, it was important to restore it as much as possible to its original condition.”
Rubel was thrilled to hear that his work would help bring back a piece of local history.
“I think it’s always good to try and restore our historic downtown Clarksville,” Rubel said.
Blackhorse rebuild moving along
The Robinsons said the Blackhorse rebuild has been moving slowly but surely.
Monday, Aug. 23, the city’s Design Review Board approved the changes to Blackhorse’s façade. On Wednesday, the Robinsons received their building permit from the city Codes Department.
The Robinsons have not given an official timeline on their reopening, but they are eager to welcome customers back.
“It’s been a long process,” Jeff said. “The damage was significant enough that it required a complete new set of plans, almost like doing a new construction.”
Jeff Robinson said the rebuild has given them the opportunity to make some long-planned improvements to the building. Guests can look forward to a revitalized upstairs Taproom with higher ceilings and a more open-air atmosphere.
They hope to begin construction in earnest as early as this week.