Hungerford Tavern / Susan Russell House

Hungerford Tavern, also, Susan Russell House. Location: Northwest Corner of West Jefferson and South Washington Street. , Charles Hungerford's tavern was the site of important events in the early history of Montgomery County. Three months prior to the Continental Congress in 1774, local citizens met at Hungerford Tavern to protest oppressive actions of the British Parliament. The first election of county officials was held here when the county was organized in 1776, and the tavern was the location of the county court from 1777 to 1779. , , Hungerford Tavern was owned by Joseph Willson from 1786 to 1791 and by his granddaughter, Susan Russell, in the 1840s. Archeological digs were conducted at this site in 1973 and 1987. Artifacts retrieved from these excavations are in the collection of Peerless Rockville, located in the Red Brick Courthouse. , , Hungerford Tavern was 1 ½-stories and made of logs chinked with clay. There were four rooms in the main building, one with a large fireplace and a hook to hang pots for cooking. Whipping posts, a pillory and stocks were located behind the tavern before a jail was built. Hungerford Tavern continued to be a landmark for more than 100 years, serving at different times as an inn, meeting and polling place, and, eventually, a private home. The building was demolished in 1913 and replaced by a new Baptist church and parsonage.