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A tavern or pot-house is, loosely, a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and, more than likely, also be served food, though not licensed to put up guests. The word derives from the Latin taberna and the Greek ταβέρνα/taverna, whose original meaning was a shed or workshop. The distinction of a tavern from an inn, bar or pub varies by location, in some places being identical and in others being distinguished by traditions or by legal license. In Renaissance England, a tavern was distinguished from a public ale house by dint of being run as a private enterprise, where drinkers were "guests" rather than members of the public.


Oldest Tavern is a distinction claimed by numerous establishments. Some establishments clarify their claims with oldest continuously operating tavern, oldest family own tavern, oldest drinking establishment, or oldest licensed; there are many ways to distinguish the oldest tavern. The first tavern in Boston, Massachusettsmarker was opened in 1633. The White Horse Tavern marker is most likely the Tavern housed in the oldest building.

Many early governments met in local taverns. From 1660-1665 the Virginia government met in Jamestown at the local taverns. From 1749 to 1779, the Mosby Tavernmarker was the courthouse, jail, and militia rendezvous for Cumberland County, Virginiamarker and later for Powhatan County, Virginiamarker. Gifford Dalley managed City Tavernmarker when the First Continental Congress was formed there and in documents he is cited and styled as the keeper of the door for the First Continental Congress. Ironically Daily’s brother- in-law Samuel Fraunces owned Fraunces Tavernmarker in New York City and Congress met there while City Hall was under construction. The last time Congress met at a tavern it was at Fraunces Tavern.

The Blue Anchor was the first drinking establishment at Front and Dock Street in Philadelphia. Tun Tavern Philadelphia was the place where the US Marines were first formed. Neither place still exists. City Tavernmarker in Philadelphia where the Continental Congress first met is still in operation.

Jean La Fitee's Black Smith Shoppe in New Orleans, Louisiana some claim to be the oldest bar continuously operating before the Declaration of Independence, although the building might predate the Declaration Jean Lafitte himself was not born until 1776 so he could not have run the establishment before 1776.

Many Taverns served dual functions. Some were also the local Post Office and or the polling place. The US Postal Service had its origins in the private Taverns and Coffee Houses of America.

A depiction of Civil War Troops reading their mail at the Eagle Tavern which doubled as the post office in Silver Springs Maryland can be seen at the Silver Springs Library. The Old Post Office Tavern is in operation today in Leavenworth, Washington. Old Kelley’s Tavern in New Hampshire is a multifunctional tavern. Colonel William B. Kelley of New Hampshire operated a tavern and was the Postmaster General for New Hampshire. The mail came and went from his home. The Hanover Tavern in Hanover County, Virginiamarker is another Tavern which also operated as the post office. The General Wayne Innmarker in Lower Merion Pennsylvania also served as a post office from 1830-1850 and was also the polling place in 1806.

19th century

American taverns were primarily in business to serve the locals, and secondarily to serve travelers. Alice Morse Earle describes the various Stagecoach Inns and Taverns in her book Stagecoach and Tavern Days.

20th century

The word tavern had developed an archaic flavour in Britain, the current term being public house (pub), though they remain a popular convention in fantasy tales and games. However, the term is still sometimes used in North America, especially in Wisconsin. The term was regularly used in Ontario, Canada until the mid 1980's, when it disappeared, having been replace with the word "bar", for almost any restaurant type of facility that sold alcohol.

See also

Notes and References

  1. History of Early American Taverns

Additional reading

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