City Tavern

The City Tavern is a replica of a historic 18th-century building located at 138 South 2nd Street, at the intersection of Second and Walnut Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of Independence National Historical Park. Owner and Executive Chef Walter Staib cooks a variety of entrees using authentic 18th-century recipes, served in seven period dining rooms, three wine cellar rooms and an outdoor garden.

History

Called the "most genteel tavern in America" by John Adams, it was the favorite meeting place of many of the Founding Fathers and of many members of the First Continental Congress. The land on which City Tavern was built was conveyed in 1772 by Samuel Powell to a group of seven wealthy citizens. The City Tavern was built by subscription in 1773 at a cost of more than £3,000. On May 20th, 1774, over two hundred men gathered in the long gallery of the City Tavern to respond to the request for assistance from Bostonians following the passage of the Boston Port Bill.

Many important things happened at City Tavern in the first few decades of the new nation. The first Fourth of July Celebration was held at City Tavern in 1777 to celebrate the anniversary of America's Independence from Britain. General George Washington first met the Marquis de Lafayette at City Tavern in 1777. The building was partially destroyed by fire on March 22, 1834 and the structure was demolished in 1854.

City Tavern Club

The City Tavern Club is a private club in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., USA. It is housed in the City Tavern, one of the oldest buildings and the last remaining Federal-period tavern in the city.

City Tavern Association

In 1959, a group of Georgetowners formed the City Tavern Association, in part to preserve the historic City Tavern, one of the oldest buildings in Washington, D.C. The old tavern, located just north of the C&O Canal and near M Street and Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown, was beautifully restored and reopened as a private club in 1962. The clubhouse and its furnishings are fine examples of the American Federal style. The Washington Post called the City Tavern Club "one of the best examples of historic restoration in the city."

City Tavern

The City Tavern was constructed in 1796 and first managed by Clement Sewall, who served in the American Revolution alongside his friend George Washington Parke Custis, George Washington’s step-grandson. Sewall had previously managed another significant inn known as the Fountain Inn (also known as Suter's Tavern) on Fishing Lane (near the corner of today’s 31st and K Streets), where President Washington negotiated with local land owners to create the new Federal City. At the time, Georgetown was a separate municipality and thriving port in the nascent District of Columbia and the new City Tavern was one of several inns built to meet the growing demand for lodging. Located in the heart of Georgetown, the City Tavern served not only as a traditional lodging house but also as the meeting place for Georgetown’s governing body, the Georgetown Corporation and the location for elections and meetings of the Mayor’s Court. It also served as the terminal stop of the Georgetown-Frederick stagecoach line. Of the several taverns that were constructed in Georgetown during the founding era, the City Tavern is the only one that remains today.