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West Bradford Township near West Chester in Chester County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Tavern Fare

 
 
Tavern Fare Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Keith S Smith, March 14, 2012
1. Tavern Fare Marker
Inscription.
What sort of food was served at the Center House?

To date, no specific food has been linked to this particular tavern, but Joseph Martin would probably have provided 18th century Anglo-Welsh American “country food,” best described as plain and hearty.

Salted or smoked pork and beef products such as hams, bacon, dried ‘chipped’ beef and corned beef were often available year round.

Baked goods included breads, biscuits, and pies. Breakfasts were usually cold meat “leftovers.” Dinner was available all afternoon, with seasoned vegetables, often broiled. Supper was soup, gruel, porridge, or ‘suppawn,’ corn meal mush. Flavorings were limited to salt and herbs, with black pepper and other spices in very limited amounts. Butter and cheese were locally available; fresh milk simply did not keep.

Potables

In 1798, Chester County had six malthouses and nine distilleries. The most common drinks were hard cider and “cider royal,” fortified with apple brandy. Rye whiskey often came from the west, while rum and gin occasionally appeared from the West Indies and Holland. Tavern keepers bartered food and lodging for groceries and liquors from wagoners passing to and from Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Lancaster.

Locally-distilled specialties included ‘Apple Jack’ made
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from apples, ‘peachy’ made from peaches, and ‘perry’ made from pears. ‘Cherry bounce’ was a potent mix of crushed fresh cherries soaked in rye whiskey. Most taverns, including Martin’s, had abundant orchards near them, producing the fruit beverages mentioned.

(caption)
Before Benjamin Franklin became the colonies' first Postmaster General in 1775, people simply picked up their letters at the local tavern.
 
Erected 2006 by Friends of Martins Tavern.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial EraSettlements & Settlers.
 
Location. 39° 56.986′ N, 75° 40.881′ W. Marker is near West Chester, Pennsylvania, in Chester County. It is in West Bradford Township. Marker can be reached from West Strasburg Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 550 Northbrook Rd, West Chester PA 19382, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Court of Quarter Sessions (here, next to this marker); Humphry Marshall (here, next to this marker); Welcome to The Center House, or Martin's Tavern (here, next to this marker); Martin's Tavern and The Battle of Brandywine (here, next to this marker); The Home and Arboretum of Humphry Marshall (within shouting distance
Ruins of the Dining Room at Martins Tavern image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Keith S Smith, March 14, 2012
2. Ruins of the Dining Room at Martins Tavern
of this marker); a different marker also named Humphry Marshall (within shouting distance of this marker); The Marshallton Historic District (approx. 0.2 miles away); Marshalton Inn (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in West Chester.
 
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 21, 2013, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 583 times since then and 15 times this year. Last updated on March 27, 2022, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on July 21, 2013, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024