The claim
A tiny Federal-style brick house near the Hudson in west SoHo, built for James Brown, an African-American veteran of the Revolution, and a tavern since at least the 1830s. It survived Prohibition as a speakeasy with a brothel upstairs. The name came in 1977, when half the B on its neon BAR sign was blacked out to make EAR.
What the records show
The Federal-style James Brown House is first recorded in 1817; records show a tavern in the ground-floor shop from at least 1835, probably earlier. The name 'Ear Inn' dates only from 1977, when the B of the old BAR sign was painted over.
| Year | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1817 | Claimed founding | The pub |
| 1835 | First record of a drinking house here | Wikipedia |
What to look for inside
- Built for Revolutionary War veteran James Brown
- Name created in 1977 by painting over part of the BAR sign
- NYC Landmark since 1969
Visiting
The Ear Inn is in New York City, United States, at 326 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown_House_(Manhattan)
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_Inn
- www.theearinn.com/about
- a816-health.nyc.gov/ABCEatsRestaurants/#/restaurant/40370168
Know something we don’t?Suggest a correctionLast checked Sept 2026
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