Indian King Tavern
Encyclopedia
The Indian King Tavern was a colonial American tavern in Haddonfield
, New Jersey
which was the site of a 1777 meeting of the New Jersey General Assembly
that officially ratified the Declaration of Independence and adopted its Great Seal
. It was the first State Historic Site, adopted as such in 1903. Its original structure remains largely intact as a state museum; it is not a complete reconstruction, unlike many other historical landmarks. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
merchant and ship owner purchased property in the center of the village of Haddonfield, cleared the poorly constructed brewery buildings and began constructing the largest tavern on the village's main road, Kings Highway. The structure was completed in 1750.
Taverns such as Aspden's were centers of commercial and social life, and in the increasing tensions between the British Empire
, represented by Loyalists
, and the Patriots
, forums for heated debate that put the lives of both those arguing and the owners of such places in jeopardy. As tensions piqued because of the Battles of Lexington and Concord
in 1775, the tavern's owner, Mathias Aspden, Jr., had gone to England for his education and returned a staunch Loyalist. He sold his tavern to Thomas Redman, who ran the village apothecary
shop. Aspden, Jr. sailed for England for good as the Second Continental Congress
was convening in Philadelphia
in 1776. He was tried and convicted of treason in absentia
; his properties in southwestern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania were seized and sold, with the profits going into the Continental Treasury.
In 1776, New Jersey saw such towns as Princeton
and Trenton
devastated by marching armies from both sides during the American Revolution
. Haddonfield residents gathered frequently at the tavern; Redman, who was also the clerk for the local Friends Meeting, was required to read publicly documents that included the sect's pacifist refusal to become combatants. Because of this, in January 1777 Redman was arrested and charged with sedition by an officer of the Continental Army
, and jailed in Woodbury
, the county seat
at that time. Redman was released and fined on March 18 of that same year. He returned to his tavern in Haddonfield to find that the state had used his tavern that same day to create a Council of Safety, whose mission it was to try, convict and incarcerate deserters, Loyalists and other enemies of the Revolution. The cellar of the tavern is thought to have been used by this Council to hold the overflow from the guard house across the street
Less than two months later, Redman sold his tavern to Hugh Creighton, who already owned a tavern a few blocks away near Potter Street. Creighton's old tavern was named the "Indian King" Tavern by its original owner, Sarah Norris, in deference to Lenape
Native Americans
who had cared for the newly immigrated and poorly equipped European settlers; it was subsequently taken over by Mary French, a widow who later married Creighton. Hugh Creighton then transferred the name of the tavern to his newly acquired tavern on Kings Highway.
The tavern was alternately occupied by British, Hessians and Continental
troops as the revolution ravaged parts of the state. Patriot generals "Mad" Anthony Wayne, the Marquis de Lafayette
and the Polish
Count Casimir Pulaski all marched along Kings Highway, and the Indian King Tavern, being the largest and most prominent at the time, would have been used by these men for meetings, lodging and recreation. Today, the remains of British and Hessian soldiers who died in Haddonfield remain buried in unmarked graves at the north corner of the cemetery at the Society of Friends' meeting house nearby.
Several local legends about the Indian King Tavern have now been dispelled. When tours were given in the 1960s and 1970s it was said that Dolly Madison frequented the Indian King Tavern attending dances there. Another legend is that the tunnels from the Indian King Tavern under King's Highway were once part of the Underground Railroad
.
, was overrun by fighting troops. The Council and General Assembly of the colony formally read into the meeting minutes the Declaration of Independence created across the Delaware River
in Philadelphia in the previous year and enacted the law that formally accepted its terms. They remained there for some time, conducting the new state's affairs.
of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
. Tours are provided free for the first and second floors, but not the cellar, which remains a topic of mystery as to its unusual layout and passageways. While the essential parts of the original structure remain, its interior accessories were created by reproduction craftsmen because of budgetary requirements.
Haddonfield, New Jersey
Haddonfield is a borough located in Camden County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough had a total population of 11,593....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
which was the site of a 1777 meeting of the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
that officially ratified the Declaration of Independence and adopted its Great Seal
Seal of New Jersey
The Great Seal of the State of New Jersey includes:*A shield with three plows emblazoned, representative of New Jersey's agricultural tradition.*A forward-facing knight's helmet.*A horse's head as the crest of the helmet....
. It was the first State Historic Site, adopted as such in 1903. Its original structure remains largely intact as a state museum; it is not a complete reconstruction, unlike many other historical landmarks. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
In 1745, Mathias Aspden, a QuakerReligious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
merchant and ship owner purchased property in the center of the village of Haddonfield, cleared the poorly constructed brewery buildings and began constructing the largest tavern on the village's main road, Kings Highway. The structure was completed in 1750.
Taverns such as Aspden's were centers of commercial and social life, and in the increasing tensions between the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, represented by Loyalists
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
, and the Patriots
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
, forums for heated debate that put the lives of both those arguing and the owners of such places in jeopardy. As tensions piqued because of the Battles of Lexington and Concord
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy , and Cambridge, near Boston...
in 1775, the tavern's owner, Mathias Aspden, Jr., had gone to England for his education and returned a staunch Loyalist. He sold his tavern to Thomas Redman, who ran the village apothecary
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
shop. Aspden, Jr. sailed for England for good as the Second Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
was convening in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
in 1776. He was tried and convicted of treason in absentia
In absentia
In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use, it usually means a trial at which the defendant is not physically present. The phrase is not ordinarily a mere observation, but suggests recognition of violation to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.In...
; his properties in southwestern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania were seized and sold, with the profits going into the Continental Treasury.
In 1776, New Jersey saw such towns as Princeton
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
and Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
devastated by marching armies from both sides during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Haddonfield residents gathered frequently at the tavern; Redman, who was also the clerk for the local Friends Meeting, was required to read publicly documents that included the sect's pacifist refusal to become combatants. Because of this, in January 1777 Redman was arrested and charged with sedition by an officer of the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
, and jailed in Woodbury
Woodbury, New Jersey
Woodbury is a city in Gloucester County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, 10,307 residents were counted. Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County....
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
at that time. Redman was released and fined on March 18 of that same year. He returned to his tavern in Haddonfield to find that the state had used his tavern that same day to create a Council of Safety, whose mission it was to try, convict and incarcerate deserters, Loyalists and other enemies of the Revolution. The cellar of the tavern is thought to have been used by this Council to hold the overflow from the guard house across the street
Less than two months later, Redman sold his tavern to Hugh Creighton, who already owned a tavern a few blocks away near Potter Street. Creighton's old tavern was named the "Indian King" Tavern by its original owner, Sarah Norris, in deference to Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
who had cared for the newly immigrated and poorly equipped European settlers; it was subsequently taken over by Mary French, a widow who later married Creighton. Hugh Creighton then transferred the name of the tavern to his newly acquired tavern on Kings Highway.
The tavern was alternately occupied by British, Hessians and Continental
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
troops as the revolution ravaged parts of the state. Patriot generals "Mad" Anthony Wayne, the Marquis de Lafayette
Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France...
and the Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
Count Casimir Pulaski all marched along Kings Highway, and the Indian King Tavern, being the largest and most prominent at the time, would have been used by these men for meetings, lodging and recreation. Today, the remains of British and Hessian soldiers who died in Haddonfield remain buried in unmarked graves at the north corner of the cemetery at the Society of Friends' meeting house nearby.
Several local legends about the Indian King Tavern have now been dispelled. When tours were given in the 1960s and 1970s it was said that Dolly Madison frequented the Indian King Tavern attending dances there. Another legend is that the tunnels from the Indian King Tavern under King's Highway were once part of the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
.
Early statehood
On July 2, 1776, the New Jersey government declared itself free and independent via the New Jersey Constitution of 1776. In 1777, the New Jersey Assembly met on the spacious second floor meeting room of the Indian King Tavern because the state's capital, TrentonTrenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, was overrun by fighting troops. The Council and General Assembly of the colony formally read into the meeting minutes the Declaration of Independence created across the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
in Philadelphia in the previous year and enacted the law that formally accepted its terms. They remained there for some time, conducting the new state's affairs.
Today
In 1903, the state acquired the Indian King Tavern structure, due to its history with the state legislature, removed recent additions, and restored the original layout of two-and-a-half stories. The Indian King Tavern Museum was the first New Jersey Historic Site, and is now administered by the Division of Parks and ForestryNew Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
The New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry is responsible for the management and operation of New Jersey's 42 parks, 11 forests and 3 recreation areas, as well as for the more than 50 historic sites and districts...
of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution...
. Tours are provided free for the first and second floors, but not the cellar, which remains a topic of mystery as to its unusual layout and passageways. While the essential parts of the original structure remain, its interior accessories were created by reproduction craftsmen because of budgetary requirements.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Camden County, New Jersey
External links
- NJ Dep't of Parks & Forestry - Indian King Tavern NJ State site for Indian King Tavern
- Haddonfield's Indian King Tavern - created by Hoag Levins, editor and executive producer of AdAge.com
- text of the July 2, 1776 State Constitution
- National Register of Historic Places - NEW JERSEY - Camden County listing #70000382
- NJ DEP - Historic Preservation Office - New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places ID #976 (PDFPortable Document FormatPortable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
)