The Merchants and Drovers Tavern is located at 1632 Saint Georges Avenue in the city of
Rahway in
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a County (United States), county in the northern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the county was the state's List of counties in New Jersey, seventh-most-populous county ,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. On November 21, 1978, the historic tavern was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
, for its significance in architecture, commerce, and transportation.
[ With ]
The exact construction dates of the building have been the source of some historical debate. Sample analysis of the building's wooden frame conducted by Columbia University's Lamont Dougherty Earth Sciences Observatory suggested that there were two distinct periods of construction : 1795–1796 and 1818–1819. The claim that the building did not exist until 1795 at the earliest is supported by the fact that the first innkeeper, John Anderson, did not receive a tavern license until 1798, after the initial period of construction. It only began operation as a hotel around 1825, after the recent addition turned the two and a half story building into a three and a half story one.
In the 1960s, the Rahway Historical Society formed and saved the historic building from destruction by purchasing it and transforming it into the center for historical interpretation that it is today. The Museum is presently looked after by The Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum Association. Throughout most of the 2000s, the Tavern underwent significant restoration efforts. In September 2021, the Museum announced on its website that the second phase of the Restoring Our Legacy Campaign has been completed and Phase III is underway. Phase II saw the restoration of the second, third, and fourth floors of the building as well as the front facade.
The tavern is adjacent to the
Rahway Cemetery. The Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum Association (MDTMA) runs historic tours and talks, including on the Victorian-era murder known as The Unknown Woman or
Rahway Jane Doe.
In 2017, the cast of the hit paranormal reality series
''Ghost Hunters'' held a fundraiser for the museum.
See also
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Rahway River Parkway
The Rahway River Parkway is a greenway of parkland along the banks the main stem Rahway River and its tributaries in Union County, New Jersey, United States. Created in the 1920s, it was one of the inaugural projects of the newly created Union ...
References
External links
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* Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum
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{{NRHP in Union County, New Jersey
Buildings and structures in Union County, New Jersey
Commercial buildings completed in 1773
Drinking establishments on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey
National Register of Historic Places in Union County, New Jersey
Rahway, New Jersey
Museums in Union County, New Jersey
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Taverns in New Jersey
Historic American Buildings Survey in New Jersey