City Tavern in Philadelphia by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Arriving at the City Tavern, in Philadelphia, on a recent trip there, I couldn't help but think of my characters Suzanne and Johan in my colonial novel, partially set in Philadelphia. How closely does the current City Tavern resemble the original, for instance? As we walked to the tavern, I admired the colonial items displayed in the curved window (see above.)

I'm betting the original tavern had a lantern hanging on the side of the building. And no sign like the one pictured (but isn't it cute?) This was our second visit to City Tavern, having visited a number of years ago when I was researching Saving the Marquise's Granddaughter (White Rose/Pelican, June 2016). 

We entered the building, which features the beautiful windows shown above. And we were greeted by strains of colonial music!

On the Sunday night of our recent visit we were delighted to be treated to harp music throughout our dinner. It was absolutely heavenly sounding! A welcome surprise after a difficult drive up from Virginia and very relaxing.

I had some fabulous crab cakes with City Tavern's special remoulade sauce, a delicious salad, and enjoyed a raspberry shrub -- all fabulous!  The three of us shared a piece of chocolate mousse cake.

Visitors are encouraged to  visit the other rooms in the tavern, too. The entry hallway shown above and our dining area below.

The original City Tavern was a hotbed of activity. It was eventually torn down. But fortunately for us, it was rebuilt and features colonial era food with the famous chef, Walter Staib. Our server, dressed in colonial-era reproduction clothing, was attentive and knowledgeable about area history.  

If you get a chance, visit City Tavern in historic Philadelphia and enjoy a delightful dining experience! 

Bio: Carrie Fancett Pagels is the Colonial Quills administrator and award-winning author of Christian historical romance. Her latest novel Saving the Marquise's Granddaughter is partially set in mid-18th century Philadelphia.

Keeping a Colonial Inn

The colonial inn's great room

Another area of research I had to do for my recent release The Highwayman was on the care and keeping of a colonial inn.

One of the most interesting things I found out was that during colonial times, an inn was more commonly known as an ordinary. And that wasn’t a term I could handily explain in the context of my story, without serious author intrusion, so I avoided using it. (I was already 1k over the allotted word count when I finished the first draft.)

First, I had to sort out the difference between a tavern and an inn. Both were considered general gathering-places of the day, where men of a community could meet not only for refreshment but to share local news and gossip, conduct business, and hold formal meetings. A tavern might serve meals, but only an inn or ordinary also provided for travelers to stay overnight.

Hartwell Tavern, Massachusetts

The most helpful article I ran across was kindly linked to me by one of my fellow Quillers: Daily Life of the American Colonies: The Role of the Tavern in Society. Some of the high points: important community events such as militia musters, council meetings, even trials often took place at the local tavern (public house) or inn (ordinary). Alcoholic beverages were commonplace, especially ale or hard cider, but drunkenness was strongly discouraged. Taverns or inns were a handy place to gather for breaks between church services on Sundays, and though most often frequented by males, one source says that three-fourths of colonial taverns were run by women, especially widows, who were encouraged into the trade in order to support themselves.

From Wikipedia:

Larger taverns provided rooms for travelers, especially in county seats that housed the county court. Upscale taverns had a lounge with a huge fireplace, a bar at one side, plenty of benches and chairs, and several dining tables. The best houses had a separate parlor for ladies, an affable landlord, good cooking, soft, roomy beds, fires in all rooms in cold weather, and warming pans used on the beds at night. In the backwoods, the taverns were wretched hovels, dirty with vermin for company; even so they were more pleasant and safer for the stranger than camping by the roadside. Even on main highways such as the Boston Post Road, travelers routinely reported the taverns had bad food, hard beds, scanty blankets, inadequate heat, and poor service.

While my fictional Brewster’s Inn might not be the most upscale establishment, nestled in the lower Shenandoah Valley along the Great Wagon Road in colonial Staunton, Virginia, you can bet that Sally and her parents take pride in keeping the place clean and serving very good food!

Some notable taverns and inns:

The Smithfield Inn, Smithfield, VA (Wikipedia)

The Old 76 House in Tappan, New York. The oldest example of Dutch public architecture, and established early on as a “safe house” for the patriot cause. Washington and the early Continental army met there whenever in town. This was also the location where Washington questioned Major John Andre of the British army, before his execution as a spy in 1780. (The tavern was also used to house the town records for many years.)

McCrady's Tavern and Long Room in Charleston, South Carolina. Purchased in 1778 and opened as a tavern, expanded upon over the next decade, and a hub of social activity including plays and banquets for Charleston residents. Washington was entertained at a banquet at McCrady’s during his visit to the city in 1791.

Cobb's Tavern in Sharon, Massachusetts—built in 1740’s, now a private residence.

The Indian King Tavern. Site of a New Jersey General Assembly meeting that ratified the Declaration of Independence in 1777, rumored to be frequented by Dolly Madison and a site on the Underground Railroad.

In Ye Olden Days: If Colonial Tavern Walls Could Talk

I'm researching colonial taverns for my next novel, and one thing I've discovered is that there is no limit to what might have occurred in a tavern. They ranged from reputable establishments for local officials' meetings and a night's lodging and food for weary travelers, to houses of offensive prostitution, drinking, gaming and gambling.

In the 17th century, laws were established to curb lewd behavior and licenses were required. Strict enforcement was in effect, but varied from town to town. Most of these tavern laws reflected those being passed simultaneously in England. Ordinances were passed to limit the amount of time local patrons could be in a tavern in an attempt to limit drinking.

For example, in New England, Massachussets, an ordinance passed prohibiting citizens from visiting a tavern longer than an hour, not past 9 pm or sunset, and they could not drink more than one-half pint at one sitting. The exception to these laws were travelers who were obviously exempt.

Written descriptions and various paintings leave us with a glimpse of how some of these first colonial taverns looked. Most were of large, but plain rooms lit by candle sticks and a wall sconce. Activity centered around one long wooden table, men sitting on wooden stools, and bread trenchers for plates.

An archaeological excavation of a Cape Cod tavern operating 1690-1740 revealed that the first floor of the building consisted of two public rooms on each side of the chimney. Other items escavated on the site, consisted of wine bottles and glasses, English coins, ceramics imported from England, salt-glazed stoneware, and locally made redware. Other site excavations have produced and an assortment of pottery shards, drinking equipment, kitchen and eating utensils.

George Plimn of Philadelphia owned a small tavern/inn. When he died in 1773, he left a small estate of 54 pounds. His public rooms consisted of a walnut desk and table with six chairs, a nest of drawers, fireplace equipment, a pair of fire buckets, four framed pictures, trade tools, pewter measures, four case bottles, a keg, and three glasses, a pair of scales and measures, a pistol, and a brass lock for the desk. The majority of his investments were in 60 gallons of rum stored in the cellar. His back rooms were simply furnished with a bed and table for guests. 

As towns grew in population and taverns multiplied in number, these laws relaxed and so did the enforcement of them by the mid to late18th century. Urban taverns were often rental spaces with the tavern keeper living there and operating business, while rural taverns were most likely operated in the owner's home. Unlike rural places, tavern keeping provided an individual a middle occupation and a steadier income than agriculture and many other labors.

Tavern keepers varied in how well they did, and it depended upon one's business management skills and how he invested his funds, as well as the nature of his clientele. For instance, one tavern keeper in Philadelphia owned two horses and cows, 60 ounces of silver objects, a traveling chair and three slaves in 1791, while another tavern keeper in the same city had only one cow, and no silver or slaves.

Small taverns were called grog shops, slop shops, and tippling houses, and were clustered along the docks of colonial port cities. They catered to transient seamen, and day laborers, and served beverages under the counter to servants, apprentices, and were houses of ill-repute for prostitution. Unlike in earlier colonial days, these taverns frequently operated without a license and many of their keepers were former sailors. These taverns were also the place for drunken brawls and physical violence.

Taverns in the middle part of the cities and in better areas of town were centered around economic life, daily business transactions, mercantile exchange, used as the site of auctions for goods, property and slaves. In fact, until local government had their own headquarters, they often held business meetings in taverns.

In Charleston, one of the largest rooms in John Gordon's tavern was leased on a yearly basis by the South Carolina Colony Court. Gorden repaired and enlarged the chamber for their use and in 1752 appealed for higher rent.

Images:
The first image above is of a colonial tavern still standing in Charleston, SC. It's now called the Pink House and has been restored as an art gallery. Not only was it once known as a tavern, but many say that prostitution took place here as well.  The second image is a close up to give you a better view.


Source:
"Early American Taverns: For the Entertainment of Friends and Strangers" by Kym S. Rice for Fraunces Tavern Museum.