The King of Prussia, History of the Pub Built on the site of a much older house, the King of Prussia dates back from the late 17th Century. The Inn is thought to be named after the smuggler and privateer John Carter, nicknamed the "King of Prussia cove". Carter is said to have resided at the Inn in the 1780s. At this time an ex-revenue officer turned smuggler named Richard Kingcup kept another inn on the quay, the crown and anchor which once stood on the site of the "British Institute" 1886 saw the demolition and rebuild of the Inn, at this time being changed from 2 - 3 stories with the exception of the front steps built in 1909 by Walter Hicks. The facade remains the same to this day. In 1895 the lease was sold to Walter hicks for £800. Walter Hicks was the founder of Hicks and Company, which later became St Austell Brewery. The Brewery holds the lease to this day, the building and land still belong to the Treffy family. The King of Prussia has also been known as the Kings Arms and the Kings Hotel. The King of Prussia has had over 30 Landlords since 1765.