Couldn’t break away to post even a simple news story. Things at work are busy, and will be for several weeks. Once I got home, I had promise to take Bitter to Mike’s York Street Bar and Grill. For those of you who read my Memorial Day post, I’d point you to the bit I quoted about the War of 1812:
The drafted militia assembled at Thomas Bean’s tavern, Warminster, Sunday, the 18th of September [of 1813], to march to Marcus Hook. General Smith and his staff were there. A large concourse of people came toether to see them off. The troops were formed in hollow square, when the Reverend Thomas B. Montanye delivered an appropriate address. They marched to Philadelphia, and thence to their destination in steamboats. The drafted militia were encamped in the court-hosue yard at Doylestown a day or two.
As I mentioned, it’s still a tavern. I’ve been to a few historic taverns which were still being run as taverns, but what I liked about this one is it wasn’t trying to be anything more than an ordinary community tavern, much like it probably has been through it’s entire 200+ year history. We got to eat in the original portion, rather than the modern addition. They’ve had to prop the interior up with a steel frame, to augment the original wood and stone construction. But the food and service were good, and you can’t argue with the history. Though I wonder how many of the regulars even know about it. They don’t advertise it.
I must confess to a bit of jealousy. I love American history, especially the Founding and the War Between the States. You probably live within 200 miles of 80% of the battles fought in both of those revolutions. Heaven forgive me but I am envious!!!! My hope is to someday make a month-long historical pilgrimage to the East and check out as many historical venues as practical. You and your wife are indeed blessed!
I think a universal quirk of we humans is that we seldom appreciate sufficiently the things that are closest to us. I’ve lived here in the Philadelphia area most of my life, and most of the times I’ve visited the historical places has been to take visitors from distant places to see them. That isn’t to say I don’t appreciate the history, but knowing that I could visit them anytime means I get around to doing it, almost never. But when I’ve visited the Boston area I’ve found the sites there very moving.
An interesting experience I had some years ago was taking friends from England to visit Washington’s Crossing. At the time there still was an excellent film presentation at the visitor center; living only 5 – 6 miles away, I’m not sure it’s still there! Anyway, it had never occurred to me that our English friends would never have heard the story at all. That they found it so riveting reawakened my appreciation for it. (But still I haven’t been back other than to fish in the Delaware River; and maybe for the Christmas reenactment of the crossing, once or twice.)
You are absolutely right, Mr. B.!!! I was in Florida once and my friends there kept saying what a treasure I had in Nebraska living so close to the momentous Pioneer Village. They had visited there and wished they lived nearby because it requires several days to take it all in. There were aghast when I informed them I’d never visited the museum!!!! I’d driven by it many times but always said to myself “someday I should stop in look.” I never have! They think I’m a fool! And they’re probably right! Why are we that way????
I hope you educated the current owner on the history of the tavern?
I just want to add to my above, that there are times when I have expounded on some local historical factoid to people, and they have given me that “Thank you for sharing that with us” look, as though I was wildly eccentric for caring about such things. Anymore I tend to to enter into such things gingerly, as in “You know, this place is real historical,” and if they ask how, proceeding from there.
Good advice! A different angle on that: I’m a Gettysburg nut. Read everything I can find in it. I visited the Battlefield with some friends who videotaped the trip. I’m telling them every detail I can remember about every spot on the battlefield. We get home and I watch the video tape, and only one or two of the children show any interest in what I’m saying. The remaining 9 or 10 people are reading plaques, wandering away, looking around, probably rolling their eyes at the fanatic who won’t shut up! Even I became disgusted watching myself ramble on.
Not everybody finds fascination in the same events or details!
Lesson learned (I hope!).
I tend to share Andy’s sentiment on that kind of thing. People will look at you like you grew a third head or something. They had a comment card, and since we liked our burgers and the service, we left them good marks, and in the comment mentioned we came because the building served an important role in the War of 1812.
Though Bitter and I joked about needing to bring a musket, and hold it over my head while standing on the bar shouting “Down with George the third!”
Holy Crap, I didn’t know that place had any sort of history and I pass by it all the time when going to school.