The City Tavern is a late-20th century building designed to be the replica of the historic 18th-century tavern and hotel building which stood on the site. It is located at 138 South 2nd Street in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, at the intersection of Second and Walnut Streets, near

Independence Hall Independence Hall is a historic civic building in Philadelphia, where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted by America's Founding Fathers. The structure forms the centerpi ...

. The original 18th century building was frequented by the

Founding Fathers of the United States The Founding Fathers of the United States, known simply as the Founding Fathers or Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American Revolution, American revolutionary leaders who United Colonies, united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the Am ...

and other distinguished people. High-profile events took place there, including the first anniversary celebration of the 4th of July. The original building was partially burned down in the 19th century and the remains were demolished in 1854. Located in

Independence National Historical Park Independence National Historical Park is a federally protected historic district in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that preserves several sites associated with the American Revolution and the nation's founding history. Administered by the National P ...

, the present recreation was opened in 1976 for the

American Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...

and operated as a restaurant which used typical 18th century recipes. The City Tavern temporarily closed during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

in 2020.

History

The original structure housed a business which

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of t ...

called the "most genteel tavern in America", and it was a favorite meeting place of some of the Founding Fathers and members of the First Continental Congress. The land on which City Tavern was built was conveyed in 1772 by

Samuel Powel Samuel Powel (October 28, 1738 – September 29, 1793) was a colonial and post-revolutionary mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since Philadelphia's mayoral office had been abolished early in the revolutionary period, Powel was the last colonial ...

to a group of seven wealthy citizens, and the building was completed by subscription at a cost of more than £3,000. In the lead-up to the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, on May 20, 1774, more than 200 men gathered in the gallery of the building to respond to the request for assistance from Bostonians following the passage of the Boston Port Bill. Many other important events took place at the building in the first few decades of the new nation; for example, the first

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

celebration was held at the building in 1777, marking the anniversary of America's Independence from Britain, and General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

first met the

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revolutio ...

at City Tavern in 1777. The building was partially destroyed by fire on March 22, 1834, and was completely demolished by 1854. The present building was constructed in the 1970s and opened in 1976 for the

United States Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...

as a functioning tavern and restaurant. From 1994 to 2020, it was operated by Walter Staib, a chef and host of the television shows ''A Taste of History'' and ''Black Forest Cuisine: The Classic Blending of European Flavors''. The Tavern closed in 2020 because of a severe downturn in business due to the

. The

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

put the property up for a new lease in 2022.

References

External links

* {{coord, 39.947128, -75.144558, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-PA, display=title Taverns in Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Independence National Historical Park American Revolutionary War museums in Pennsylvania Old City, Philadelphia Taverns in the American Revolution Restaurants in Philadelphia Landmarks in Philadelphia History of Philadelphia Culture of Philadelphia Replica buildings 1773 establishments in Pennsylvania 18th-century architecture in the United States Federal architecture in Pennsylvania

History

See also

References

External links