Tavern licenses had been sought for this location since 1758, but were not finally granted until 1778. The Inn property was owned by several successive parties and went by various different names, including the General Wolf, the Red Horse, and finally, the Sandy Hill Tavern. It was purchased in 1790 by Caleb Way, but in 1804 the innkeeper, Owen Afflick, was denied license because the Inn had earned a poor reputation. Despite many attempts over the years, the license was never granted, and finally, Caleb Way built a new tavern building on the site of the old log structure. If it was a ploy to appease the licensing board, it did not work, and eventually, Way sold the property to Aquilla Marshalll in 1839. Essentially, though it was built to be a tavern, it never actually served that purpose.