The Dead Horse Inn The Dead Horse Inn The Dead Horse Inn is a temporary bar installation created by Duke Riley. It exists for only one night a year providing diversion, libation, and fresh crabs for a nickel. The bar is hidden among the woods of Plumb Island, in an area known as Dead Horse Bay. It was built from the excavated ruins of the shantytown that actually occupied the island from 1891 to 1935. The Dead Horse Inn project draws a connection between the current lay of the land and the similarly transgressive spirit of its former inhabitants. Plumb Island has always been a place where people socialize in ways otherwise prohibited in New York City. The human condition unfolds outside prescribed social boundaries, reacting and looking for free spaces, creating culture on the fringe of the city, where the land meets the water. History of the Site From 1891 to 1907, Plumb Island was occupied by a group of homesteaders who set up a series of shacks and tents that eventually developed into bars and inns. Because the island was outside New York City's jurisdiction, alcohol and tobacco were tax-free. In 1907, the US army was sent by the city to break up the party and evict the homesteaders. The land was then leased to former judge Winfield Overton, who allowed the homesteaders to return shortly after his arrival. The judge quickly declared himself ruler of the island and began organizing boxing matches, which were also illegal in New York at the time. The US military was then called again to ""depose the dictator" they had unwittingly installed. In the 1930s, Robert Moses evicted the last homesteaders, demolished all of the remaining structures, and connected the island to the mainland by a strip of highway and a bridge now known as Exit 9B on the Belt Parkway, turning it into a run-down rest stop with public bathrooms. In recent years, the island's parking area has become a regular rendezvous for swingers, and the surrounding woods have become a cruising spot for gay men. The Dead Horse Inn The Final Product I spent most of the night guiding people through the woods My friend, Silke, puts finishing touches on the bar. Juan Puntes Many costumed revelers arrived from Coney Island's Mermaid Parade. People started to show up... ..and have fun Just as things seemed to be going smoothly... A surprise visit from the police. Party-goers ran for the hills. Reconnaissance Mission with Chris & Brendan. Despite the police and the rain, gradually, people made their way back to the bar. All prepared for the main event: BOXING Round 1 Throwing some below-the-belt punches. Knock Out Then we cooked up some crabs And feasted... And feasted... At this point it was almost dawn And we passed out. And we slept well into the day. Building The Bar The area has a lot of wood and remnants from boats that wash ashore. Some homeless people have used these remains to build shelters. Joy Whalen helps carry the cross. The bottles used in buildings were excavated from the ground surrounding the site. Some bottles dated back to the 19th century Bar site prior to painting. Rich Sandomeno helping to clear the area. A lot of people fish in the area The local fishermen were interested in what I was doing. Fishermen ended up helping build the bar.