New Jersey Taverns of the Revolutionary War

A fun community-driven Mr. Local History post where we need history sleuths who’ve read all those old documents and maps
to help build the largest list of New Jersey Revolutionary War-era taverns.

The road was long and worn beneath their feet as Continental soldiers moved steadily through New Jersey. They are not marching unquestioningly. A few miles ahead, at a known crossroads, there is a tavern. Not just a place for food or drink, but a fixed point in the landscape where officers can gather, messages can be exchanged, and a fire might still be burning. For men on the march, it is the difference between pushing forward and stopping. The Mr. Local History research team decided it was time to map where in New Jersey these iconic Revolutionary War tavern stops were located as the Continental Army moved across the State.

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A day’s march was not measured in miles alone, but in where it could end. Ten to fifteen miles often carried troops from one tavern to the next, forming a chain across what we now call the “cockpit of the American Revolution.” Along routes like the roads later used by Washington and Rochambeau, these taverns became the quiet infrastructure of the war. Today, many are gone, but if you follow the roads carefully, you can still trace the march not just by the battles, but by the places in between. And that’s what we’re doing.

Because the movement of troops along what’s now known as the W3R route had both social and military aspects, the taverns and private homes where troops were entertained also serve as tangible reminders of the memorable interactions between Rochambeau’s troops and their American hosts.

“Taverns, used by French and American officers as resting places between campsites, were a staple of the route. The taverns of the 18th century were not typically specialized structures but rather large houses in which part of the interior was used as a taproom and a few rooms were available for lodging. General officers usually lodged in taverns while company-grade officers slept two to a tent near their men. Taverns are found in various conditions of preservation in every state along the route,” Dr. Rober Selig for the W3R.

NJ Rev War Tavern List Grows with Community Help

Based on our map, this chart makes one thing clear: Revolutionary War taverns in New Jersey were not randomly spread out; they followed the action. Somerset County leads by a wide margin, reflecting its central role around the Middlebrook encampments and major crossroads of troop movement.

Strong clusters in Middlesex County, Union County, and Morris County reinforce the pattern these taverns lined the critical route between New York City and Philadelphia. They were more than gathering places; they were essential infrastructure supporting communication, movement, and the daily needs of an army on the move.

Map Legend:
Stars are Taverns with a major event.
Orange Beers: Pending Location Verification.
Red Beers: Rev War Taverns (documented)
Also included are encampment areas and other historic structures.

To prove the theory that troops often marched a distance of 12 miles because that was the average distance between taverns, here’s proof: General Lee and General Sullivan’s troop march to the Delaware in 1776.

Even in camp, the pull of the tavern remained. Just beyond the lines, if one could be found, a tavern offered something the Army could not: a warm fire, familiar voices, and a hard-earned pint would help cope with the encampment. Guess how many winter encampments were in New Jersey? Answer, more than any other location during the war effort.

HELP US IDENTIFY MORE NEW JERSEY REVOLUTIONARY WAR ERA TAVERNS

New Jersey, known as the “Crossroads” and the “Cockpit of the American Revolution,” had taverns at the center of it all. These were not just places to eat and drink. They were meeting houses, headquarters, post offices, and hubs of communication where critical decisions were made. Some of these taverns are well known, such as the Indian King Tavern and Arnold’s Tavern, while others have been lost to time or exist only in old maps, deeds, and family stories. Our complete list of taverns is also listed at the end of this post for easy reference.

We are working to build the most complete map and record of Revolutionary War-era taverns across New Jersey, and we love it when our history fans help. The ask is simple: if you know of a worthy Revolutionary War-era tavern, we’d love to hear your comments. Post your tavern suggestion, the location, and any evidence you might have.

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Rev War Taverns in New Jersey Identified So Far on the Mr. Local History Map

Town	Area	Tavern Name	Approx Date
Allentown	Monmouth	Allen House Tavern	1750s
Ambler	z-Montgomery PA	Broad Axe Tavern	1681
Barnegat	Ocean	Cedar Bridge Tavern	1740
Basking Ridge	Somerset	Widow White’s Tavern	1700s
Basking Ridge	Somerset	Coffee House	1806
Bensalem Township	z-Bucks PA	The Red Lion Tavern	1700s
Bernardsville	Somerset	John Parker Tavern	1750s
Bernardsville	Somerset	Vealtown / Parker’s Tavern	1700s
Bound Brook	Somerset	Peter Harpending’s / Frelinghuysen Tavern	1729
Bridgeton	Cumberland	Potter’s Tavern	1770
Bridgewater	Somerset	Castner Tavern	1768
Bridgewater	Somerset	Steele’s Tavern	1777
Burlington	Burlington	Blue Anchor Tavern	1750
Camden	Camden	Benjamin Cooper House	c.1734
Cape May	Cape May	Marriner’s Tavern / Our House Restaurant	c.1747
Chadds Ford vicinity	z-Delaware PA	Howels Tavern	1777
Chester	Morris	Conger Tavern	c.1743
Clarksboro	Gloucester	Death of the Fox Tavern	1747
Colts Neck	Monmouth	Colts Neck Inn	1717
Cranbury	Middlesex	The Cranbury Inn	1780
Edison	Middlesex	Bonhamtown Tavern	1779
Elizabeth	Union	Sign of the Unicorn	1760
Elizabeth	Union	Red Lion Inn	1779
Elizabeth	Union	Hull’s Tavern	1774
Englishtown	Monmouth	The Village Inn	1726
Franklin Township	Somerset	Franklin Inn	1734
Gladstone	Somerset	Willie’s Taverne	1780
Glendora	Camden	Gabriel Daveis Tavern Museum House	1756
Green Township	Sussex	Thomas Wolverton’s Tavern	1735
Griggstown	Somerset	Black Horse Tavern	c.1781
Griggstown	Somerset	Red Horse Tavern	c.1781
Haddonfield	Camden	Indian King Tavern	1750
Haddonfield	Camden	Three Tuns Tavern / Mill Street Inn	1723
Jersey City	Hudson	Stuyvestant / Tise Tavern	1732
Jersey City	Hudson	Pawles Hook Tavern	1700s
Knowlton Township	Warren	Ramsaysburg Tavern	1795
Lambertville	Hunterdon	Lambertville House	1812
Lebanon Township	Hunterdon	Jacksonville Tavern	1700s
Liberty Corner	Somerset	Bullion’s / Boylan’s Tavern	1777 era
Lincoln Park	Morris	Dodd’s Tavern	1700s
Long Valley	Morris	Neitzer’s Tavern	TBC
Mansfield Township	Warren	Thomas Wolverton’s Tavern	1735
Mantua Township	Gloucester	Barnsboro Inn	1776
Mendham	Morris	Black Horse Tavern	1740
Mercerville	Mercer	Bill’s Olde Tavern	TBC
Montgomery Township	Somerset	Woods Tavern	1738
Montville	Morris	Stewart’s Tavern	1779 map
Moorestown	Burlington	Cox’s Tavern	1745
Moorestown	Burlington	Thomas Moore’s Tavern	1734
Morris Township	Morris	Larzelear’s / Half Moon Tavern	1777 era
Morristown	Morris	Arnolds Tavern	1764
Morristown	Morris	Norris Tavern	1776
Morristown	Morris	Dickerson Tavern	1750
Mount Royal	Gloucester	Mt Royal Inn	1762
New Brunswick	Middlesex	White Hall Tavern	1776
New Brunswick	Middlesex	Indian Queen Tavern	1700s
New Brunswick	Middlesex	Red Lion Tavern	1700s
New York	z-New York	Fraunces Tavern	1719
New York	z-New York	Montagnie’s Tavern	1700s
Newark	Essex	Eagle Tavern	1776
Paterson	Passaic	Passaic Tavern & Hotel	1800s
Paterson	Passaic	Godwin Tavern	1777
Perth Amboy	Middlesex	Long Ferry Tavern	1684
Perth Amboy	Middlesex	Kings Arms Tavern	1700s
Philadelphia	z-Philadelphia	City Tavern	1772
Philadelphia	z-Philadelphia	Wheat Sheaf Tavern	1767 ref
Philadelphia	z-Philadelphia	Boars Head Tavern	1700s
Pilesgrove Township	Salem	Seven Stars Tavern	1762
Pittsgrove Township	Salem	Ye Olde Centerton Inn	1706
Pittstown	Hunterdon	Pittstown Inn	1760s
Pluckemin	Somerset	Pluckemin Inn / Eoff’s Tavern	mid 1700s
Pluckemin	Somerset	Jacob Eoff Tavern	1700s
Pompton Plains	Morris	Curtis’s Tavern	c.1781
Princeton	Mercer	Nassau Inn	1756
Princeton	Mercer	Sign of the Hudibras’s Tavern	1768
Princeton	Mercer	Sign of the College Tavern	1770s
Rahway	Union	Merchants & Drovers Tavern	1700s
Ringoes	Hunterdon	Ringo’s Tavern	1720
River Edge	Bergen	Campbell-Christie House	1774
Rocky Hill	Somerset	Rocky Hill Inn & Tavern	1745
Rocky Hill vicinity	Somerset	Gerritson’s / Garret Garretson’s Tavern	1700s
Scotch Plains	Union	Short Hills Tavern	1700s
Scotch Plains	Union	Stage House Tavern	1737
Somerville	Somerset	Van Veghten Tavern	1725
Somerville	Somerset	Tunison’s Tavern / Somerset Hotel	1800s
South Bound Brook	Somerset	Christoffel Vought Farmstead / Captain Thomas Janes’ Tavern	1770s
South Plainfield	Middlesex	Rubble T. / Kerbell’s Tavern Verification Needed	1779 map
Springfield	Union	Bryants Tavern	mid 1700s
Springfield	Union	Bryants Tavern	1780
Stockton	Hunterdon	Stockton Inn	1710
Tappan	z-Rockland NY	Old 76 House	1668
Titusville	Mercer	Bear Tavern	1746
Trenton	Mercer	French Arms Tavern	1750s
Trenton	Mercer	Royal Oak Tavern	1766
Trenton	Mercer	Old Eagle Tavern	1700s
Trenton	Mercer	Phoenix Tavern	1700s
Union Township	Hunterdon	Hickory Tavern / Van Syckel’s Tavern	1760s
Union Township	Hunterdon	Bronell / Bonnell Tavern	1767
Wanaque corridor	Passaic	Yellow Tavern	1781
Warwick	z-Orange NY	Bairds Tavern	1766
Washington Crossing	Mercer	Johnson Ferry Tavern	1776 era
West Amwell	Hunterdon	Hickory Tavern	1750s
West Orange	Essex	Hick’s Tavern	1777 era
Woodbridge	Middlesex	Cross Keys Tavern	1740