[1][2][3] Levi Hart (?–1775), of England, settled in the village of Colts Neck, then part of Freehold Township, New Jersey, in about 1735 and set himself up as the tavern keeper.
(His Jewish heritage led the British to mark Colts Neck on their Battle of Monmouth map as Jewstown.)
He was often in court as a defendant and at one point the Monmouth County sheriff had to intervene in a dispute in which Huddy allegedly attempted to wrest ownership of the tavern from his wife and put her and the children on the street.
[4][5][6][7][8] Samuel Laird (1 February 1787 – 5 July 1859) replaced Jacob Hart as proprietor of the tavern in 1817 and served in that role until his death in 1859.
Prominent among the horses was the Thoroughbred Fashion, which was owned by William Gibbons and which Samuel's son Joseph T. Laird rode for all engagements.
Samuel Laird's son Robert, who was operating the distillery at the time of the fire, rebuilt it in nearby Scobeyville, New Jersey, where it remains today.
The inn, which had more than 25 guest rooms, stables for 25 horses, and several acres of land at the time, was said to be the only hotel between Eatontown and Freehold, New Jersey.