Dan's Tavern
Sanborn Map Rochester (Vol. 4,1950, Section 399) Zoomed in view of 293 Clarissa St.
Photograph of march on April 9, 1968, the day of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s funeral, Democrat and Chronicle.
Known Name(s)
Dan's Tavern
Address
293 Clarissa St. Rochester, NY
Establishment Type(s)
Tavern
Physical Status
Extant
Description
Dan’s Tavern at 293 Clarissa Street was located in a single-story restaurant building, built in 1930 and still extant. The main structure has a wooden frame and a gable roof. The front, facing Clarissa Street, was fitted with a concrete block extention with a brick façade. To the rear and sides, the structure once had multiple one-story frame appendages.
Detailed History
While it was listed in the Green Book between 1948 and 1955, Dan's Tavern was owned by Joseph H. Daniels, who according to his obituary was the first African American man in Rochester to hold a liquor license in 1931. He opened Dan’s Tavern in 1940 and sold it in 1968, when it became Shep’s Paradise. Under owner Ruther B. Sheppard, Shep’s Paradise operated from 1968 until 2002. This structure served as a popular neighborhood restaurant and music venue for decades and was known for supporting local and celebrity jazz musicians. Locals in Rochester today still recall, with fondness, the music and hospitality that a visit to the tavern offered.
