Wallace Tavern
The building to the center right is known as Wallace Tavern. It appears on the 1794 Dennis Griffith Map of Maryland. 1794 is also carved on the mantel of the fireplace inside. The large open hearth gave heat to the whole building, as well as a place to prepare meals. In those days a tavern was a place to replenish your supplies, enjoy a meal, and get a night’s rest during your travels.
For the traveler, the tavern was a welcome sight after a long and often rugged day’s journey. They frequently found themselves leaning side to side to assist in keeping the stage coach upright. Because of deep ruts and primitive methods of repairing roads (placing small trees or bushes in the rut and covering them with dirt), passengers were often pushing the coach out of the mud in the wind and rain rather than riding within.
The significance of the tavern during the Revolutionary period cannot be underestimated. Even the sturdiest of men would have found it difficult to cope with all of the unknowns in the troubled and untamed nation. Taverns tied this young nation together by providing a means for people to dine and rest while traveling great distances.
For the traveler, the tavern was a welcome sight after a long and often rugged day’s journey. They frequently found themselves leaning side to side to assist in keeping the stage coach upright. Because of deep ruts and primitive methods of repairing roads (placing small trees or bushes in the rut and covering them with dirt), passengers were often pushing the coach out of the mud in the wind and rain rather than riding within.
The significance of the tavern during the Revolutionary period cannot be underestimated. Even the sturdiest of men would have found it difficult to cope with all of the unknowns in the troubled and untamed nation. Taverns tied this young nation together by providing a means for people to dine and rest while traveling great distances.