The Three Pigeons was a prominent and famous meeting place in
Bergen Township,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, during the
revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society.
Definition
The term—bot ...
period, and was used historically as a landmark as well as a popular place for hosting special occasions.
Location and name

The Three Pigeons stood at the bottom of the west side of the
Hudson Palisades
The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey and Southeastern New York in the United States. The cliffs s ...
, east of a main road that was later to be the
Hackensack Turnpike,
and currently
Bergen Turnpike
Bergen (, ) is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo.
By May 2025 the population is 294 029 according to Statistics Norway. The municipali ...
. The two-story building
[ was located near the southern fringe of the settlement of ]Maisland
Maisland, or Mais Land, was an area in Hudson County, New Jersey.
Location
The region of Maisland was located on the western slope of the Hudson Palisades.
Under the governorship of Philip Carteret, land in the region of Bergen was sold under ...
near the intersection of what is now Tonnelle Avenue
U.S. Route 1/9 (US 1/9 or US 1-9) is the Concurrency (road), concurrency of U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey, US 1 and U.S. Route 9 in New Jersey, US 9 from their junction in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, Woodbridge in Mi ...
and Hackensack Plank Road
The Hackensack Plank Road, also known as Bergen Turnpike, was a major artery which connected the cities of Hoboken, New Jersey, Hoboken and Hackensack, New Jersey, Hackensack, New Jersey. Like its cousin routes, the Newark Plank Road and Paterso ...
,[ within modern ]North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 63,361, an increase of 2,588 (+4.3%) from the 2010 census count of 60,773, ...
., Today, the intersection is called "Six Corners", where a laundromat and cafe share the same name, in the residential and commercial neighborhood called New Durham.
By the time the inn was erected, the name ''Three Pigeons'' had been used repeatedly in plays as the backdrop for scenes, for instance in ''She Stoops to Conquer
''She Stoops to Conquer'' is a comedy by Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in the English-speaking world. It is one of the few plays ...
'' (1773), Shakespeare's ''The Merry Wives of Windsor
''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...
'' (1602) and Ben Jonson
Benjamin Jonson ( 11 June 1572 – ) was an English playwright, poet and actor. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence on English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for the satire, satirical ...
's ''The Alchemist
An alchemist is a person who practices alchemy.
Alchemist or Alchemyst may also refer to:
Books and stories
* ''The Alchemist'' (novel), the translated title of a 1988 allegorical novel by Paulo Coelho
* ''The Alchemist'' (play), a play by Ben ...
'' (1610). Later literary scenes involving a "Three Pigeons" appear in '' Creatures of Impulse'' (1870) and Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
' ''Our Mutual Friend
''Our Mutual Friend'', published in 1864–1865, is the last novel completed by English author Charles Dickens and is one of his most sophisticated works, combining savage satire with social analysis. It centres on, in the words of critic J. ...
'' (1864–65),[Caledonian, p. 441.] as well as in actual inns, such as the English Shakespearian actor John Lowin
John Lowin (baptized 9 December 1576 – buried 18 March 1659 or 16 March 1669) was an English actor.
Early life
Born in St Giles-without-Cripplegate, London, Lowin was the son of a tanner. Like Robert Armin, he was apprenticed to a goldsmit ...
's "The Three Pigeons" at Brentford. It has been said that the name "Three Pigeons" in any of its variants may have more literary associations than any other tavern name.[ Many other inns and taverns in England still use this name today.
]
History
The earliest account is of a tavern keeper, William Earle who was born in 1690, and flourished in the early 18th century. Prior to the American Revolution, the Three Pigeons Tavern was well known in the area[ during the colonial era where the community in New Durham was located. Along with Snake Hill and Priors' Mills, Three Pigeons made up one of three prominent land points in ]Hudson County
Hudson County is a List of counties in New Jersey, county in the U.S. state of New Jersey, its smallest and most densely populated. Lying in the northeast of the state and on the west bank of the North River (Hudson River), Hudson River, the No ...
; with the Three Pigeons namely being a site well referenced in describing proximity at the time as well.[Winfield, p. 546][Winfield, p. 152.] It has been said that General Washington had also spent time at the Three Pigeons, likely before and during the years of the revolution.
American Revolution
On March 14, 1779, Colonel Jacob Van Buskirk, an officer in the New Jersey Volunteers
The New Jersey Volunteers, also known as Jersey Volunteers, "Skinners", Skinner's Corps, and Skinner's Greens (due to their green wool uniform coats), were a British provincial military unit of Loyalists, raised for service by Cortlandt Skinner, ...
, received intelligence that a party of Carolina Troops, along with a Captain and Lieutenant were at the Three Pigeons. Van Buskirk dispatched the Fourth Battalion and a lieutenant to approach the building, but the rebels were able to escape into the Bergen Woods. They were chased for , and in the end after shots were exchanged, two rebels were captured as prisoners.[
Months later, during the Battle of Paulus Hook, Major ]Light Horse Harry Lee
Henry Lee III (January 29, 1756 – March 25, 1818) was an early American Patriot and politician who served as the ninth Governor of Virginia and as the Virginia Representative to the United States Congress. Lee's service during the American ...
along with Captain Handy and the rest of his men moved towards Douwe's Ferry at the Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, about 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban ar ...
to cross with prisoners, only to find no boats, leaving Lee to return the way he came from fear of capture if remaining like sitting ducks. After diverting back, Lee picked up 50 of his lost Virginians at the Three Pigeons and assigned them as flankers. Then at Fort Lee Ferry Road, Lee's troops, as decided by Lord Stirling
William Alexander, also known as Lord Stirling (December 27, 1725 – January 15, 1783), was a Scottish-American major general during the American Revolutionary War. He held a claim to be the male heir to the Scottish title of Earl of Stirl ...
, were reinforced by Colonel Henry Ball along with 200 additional troops, and soon after were attacked unsuccessfully by Van Buskirk and his Tories
A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The T ...
from within the Bergen woods. By August 19, Lee led his troops and 159 prisoners safely to New Bridge.[ One Captain Meals was captured at the Three Pigeons, and on him were found the positions and orders of Lee's command relating to the attack and march at Paulus Hook.][Winfield, p. 160]
Finally, on October 20, Lee met for the last time with John Champe, a double agent chosen by George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
and Lee himself in an attempt to capture the American traitor Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...
, sent Champe up the road up towards the Three Pigeons, and worked to give him a start of about an hour and a quarter before he would release the information of Champe's whereabouts to the dragoons
Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...
. Just above the Three Pigeons, Champe and the dragoons simultaneously spotted each other; troopers then began pursuit of Champe, but were unsuccessful as Champe had jumped into the Hudson and was picked up by a British boat, claiming to seek British protection in New York City.
Also during the revolution, a Loyalist who had tried to visit his family was captured at the Three Pigeons by Patriots[ and was subsequently murdered.
]
Afterwards
For local Bergen and regional elections, the Three Pigeons was used as a voting house for the mayoral elections from 1804 through 1806; it would open there during these years and close at Peter Stuyvesant's,[Winfield, p. 299.] another local tavern on the southwest corner of Bergen and Glenwood Avenues. James Gore King, a prominent businessmen and Whig Party politician endorsed General Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as Commanding General of the United States Army from 1841 to 1861, and was a veteran of the War of 1812, American Indian Wars, Mexica ...
's bid for presidency, a fellow whig, and gave a speech in support at the Three Pigeons in 1852.[ It had been used repeatedly during the remainder of the 19th century as a landmark for describing official government and military positions,][Winfield, p. 189.] as well as in deed purchases. Finally in 1893, the Three Pigeons was destroyed.[McNally, p. 102.]
References
Sources
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{{Coord, 40.782626, -74.032856, display=title
History of New Jersey
North Bergen, New Jersey
New Jersey in the American Revolution
Taverns in New Jersey
Taverns in the American Revolution
1893 disestablishments in New Jersey
1700s establishments in New Jersey