Wayside Inns and Taverns

By Elizabeth Y. Rump

From prehistoric times people have enjoyed socializing with each other. A natural outcome of this socialization was a formal, designated place of meeting. Early meeting places, or public houses, were a "center for social, religious and political events" (Twaddell). Villages and towns often sprang up surrounding these establishments. When meetinghouses or churches were built as the center for religious life, these public houses remained a center for politics, business, and socialization.

The Ohio Land Company was formed in The Bunch of Grapes Tavern in Boston. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence at the Indian Queen Tavern in Philadelphia. At the Bull Tavern in Phoenixville, land was purchased from the Delaware Indians. Many, like Dilworthtown, also served as courtroom and prison. And let’s not forget, the original owners of the Historical Society’s historic houses also ran taverns to serve the needs of the local and traveling public.

The terms used for these public houses varied by region. In New England, tavern was the most popular term. Inn and tavern were used interchangeably in the Middle Atlantic States, and the term ordinary was used in the southern colonies. An ordinary implies that a meal was offered "at a set time and price to the public" (Rice), while an inn implies overnight stays, and tavern simply means food and entertainment.

Whether called an inn, tavern, or ordinary, a public house offered food, drink, socialization, and a place to spend the night for road-weary 18th century travelers. The type of beverages that were permitted to be served were often specified in the tavern license. In 1722, William Barns was granted a license to sell only "beer and ale." However, in his license renewal of 1726, he was granted permission to sell "wine, beer, syder, ale, brandy, rum, and other strong liquors" (Chadds Ford Historical Society Archives.) While taverns were an important local meeting place, it was necessary to maintain proper order within your establishment. In William Barns’ 1726 license he was not "to suffer any unlawful game to be used in his house." Failure to keep order could result in loss of license. Sleeping accommodations were somewhat different than what we would expect of an inn today. In the 18th century, it would not be unusual to share a bed with one or more fellow travelers. This was a practical solution during cold weather, as more people in a bed made for warmer night’s sleep. Sometimes the accommodations might just be pallets and blankets on the floor. With this type of accommodation, you would want to be sure to get to bed early to grab a prime spot near the fire in order to keep warm during cold weather.

Taverns were ranked by the class of their patrons. According to Meg Daly Twaddell, author of Inns, Tales, and Taverns of Chester County, the classifications for taverns from the most elite to the lowest were stage stand, wagon stand, drove stand, and the common taphouse. The stage stand served coach travelers, business men, and the wealthy. A wagon stand served wagoneers and teamsters hauling supplies from rural areas to port cities for sale or export. Drove stands were used by immigrants, local workers, and by those herding livestock to markets. The poorest of the population patronized taphouses as a meeting place.

Tavern signs that were hung over the door to the establishment were very important in announcing the location of a tavern, and its desired patrons. These signs used a combination of pictures and words and were, in fact, a type of pictograph. This was very useful, indeed, when only a limited number of people were able to read. Many of the signs survive to this day. Chester County Historical Society has a wonderful collection.

Taverns were an equal opportunity business. Running an inn or tavern was considered an acceptable occupation for a respectable woman. Indeed, it was the basic housewifery skills learned as a child and utilized within their own homes that made tavern keeping an ideal occupation for a woman. Widows often took over the running of an establishment they previously operated with their husbands or, after their husband’s death, opened a tavern as a respectable means of supporting themselves and their families. According to Diana Ross McCain, the first woman granted a tavern license in the colonies received it in 1643 in Massachusetts, and by 1691, more than one half of the tavern licenses in Boston were held by women. Women in the Chadds Ford area were no exception. From 1741 to 1744 Elizabeth McNeil’s name appears on the Kennett Township petition along with that of her husband. In 1756, Mary House, "widow of James House," also of Kennett Township, petitioned for a license, and Mary Dilworth petitioned to operate the Rising Sun Tavern in Birmingham in 1804 (Chester County Historical Society: Index to Chester County Tavern Petitions by Petitioner).

Pennsylvania has the distinction, according to Elise Lathrop, of having "more inns than any other state." This can easily be believed when looking at the Chester County Historical Society’s Index to Tavern Petitions for Chester County. Indeed, in the townships of Kennett, Pennsbury and Birmingham alone, from the years 1721 to 1799, fifty people petitioned to operate a tavern or inn.

Inns and taverns of the Chadds Ford area have continued to serve the public from the eighteenth century to the present. They continue to offer similar amenities, although up-graded by modern conveniences, as their eighteenth century counterparts. Today’s inns and taverns still offer good food, a place for weary travelers to lay their heads, and, most importantly, a place to socialize with neighbors and catch up on the local gossip.

-Inns, Tales, and Taverns of Chester County by Meg Daly Twaddell.

-Early American Inns and Taverns by Elise Lathrop.

-"Women Tavernkeepers" Diana Ross McCain, Early American Life Magazine, June 1990.

-Chester County Historical Society, Index to Chester County Tavern Petitions by Petitioner Name, Newspaper Clipping Files.

-Early American Taverns: For the Entertainment of Friends and Strangers by Kym S. Rice, Early American Life Magazine, October 1983.

-Chadds Ford Historical Society Archives.