The Perryville Tavern, also known as the Perryville Inn, is a historic building at 167 Perryville Road in Perryville,
Union Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Union Township is a township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 5,908, reflecting a decline of 252 (−4.1%) from the 6,160 counted in the 2000 Census, which had i ...
. It was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on July 15, 1977 for its significance in architecture and commerce. The tavern is located west of
Clinton
Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...
, south of the intersection of
Interstate 78
Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland Tunn ...
and Perryville Road. With
History
The Perryville Tavern was built in 1813 by Cornelius Carhart on the stage coach route, built in 1806 as the New Jersey Turnpike, between
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in, and the county seat of, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River, a river tha ...
and
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was named after Commodore
Oliver Hazard Perry
Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was an American naval commander, born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. The best-known and most prominent member
of the Perry family naval dynasty, he was the son of Sarah Wallace A ...
for his naval victory at the
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, on Lake Erie off the shore of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of the Briti ...
on September 10, 1813.
In 1900, it stopped being a public tavern, and became a private residence. In 1957, planning for the construction of Interstate 78 placed the building in the new
right of way
Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another.
A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
. It was then purchased by the state and subsequently moved 1000 feet south in January 1960 to its current location and operated as a restaurant.
Description
The tavern is a two and one-half story brick building with Federal architecture style. It has been noted as a relatively rare example of this style in the county. Local artist,
William Bonnell
William Bonnell (February 1, 1804 – October 12, 1865) was an American portrait painter. His works are generally placed in the folk art category, due to his lack of formal training.
Biography
Born in Clinton, New Jersey, Bonnell was the second ...
, may have painted a tavern sign, with a portrait of
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
on one side and an American flag on the other for the inn.