Indian King Tavern

Indian King Tavern is a preserved colonial-era building in the center of Haddonfield, Camden County, New Jersey. Although it is not a contemporary commercial brand, the name identifies an important historic property, former tavern, and public museum. The building is also known as the Creighton House and Creighton Tavern, reflecting the ownership and naming history of the eighteenth-century establishment. The oldest portion of the structure has been dated to approximately 1730, while the principal tavern building was developed in the mid-eighteenth century. In 1745, Quaker merchant and ship owner Mathias Aspden acquired property on Kings Highway in Haddonfield. He cleared earlier brewery structures and constructed what became one of the largest taverns in the village; the building was completed around 1750 according to the traditional account. Taverns of this kind served as commercial, social, and political meeting places, making the building particularly significant as tensions between Patriot and Loyalist factions intensified before and during the American Revolution. The property became closely tied to the political and military upheaval of the revolutionary period. Mathias Aspden Jr., who had returned from England as a Loyalist, ultimately left for England. His property was seized and sold after he was convicted of treason in absentia. The tavern was subsequently associated with Thomas Redman, a local apothecary and clerk of the Haddonfield Friends Meeting. Redman's public reading of Quaker pacifist statements contributed to his arrest for sedition in 1777. During his imprisonment, the state used the tavern as a meeting place for a Council of Safety, which dealt with deserters, Loyalists, and other individuals regarded as opponents of the Revolution. In 1777, the New Jersey Legislature relocated its meetings to the tavern because military activity had disrupted its previous location. The General Assembly and Legislative Council met in the building's large second-floor room. There, the legislature read the Declaration of Independence into its minutes and conducted the affairs of the newly independent state. The site is consequently associated with New Jersey's revolutionary government and the adoption of the state's Great Seal. The tavern's present name was transferred from an earlier establishment near Potter Street. That earlier tavern had been named Indian King by its original owner, Sarah Norris, in reference to Lenape people who had assisted newly arrived European settlers. Hugh Creighton, who acquired the Kings Highway property from Redman, had previously operated the earlier tavern and transferred its name to the larger building. The property was used at various times by British, Hessian, and Continental forces during the Revolution, and its location on Kings Highway placed it along routes used by prominent military figures, including Anthony Wayne, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Casimir Pulaski. The State of New Jersey acquired the building in 1903 because of its connection with the legislature and revolutionary statehood. Later additions were removed, and the structure was restored to an approximation of its original two-and-a-half-story form. It became the first New Jersey State Historic Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the Indian King Tavern Museum is administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Parks and Forestry. Visitors can tour the principal floors, which interpret the building's architectural, political, and social history. Some interior furnishings are reproductions created by craftspeople because of preservation and budget limitations. Stories about regular visits by Dolley Madison and alleged Underground Railroad tunnels have been treated as legends rather than established historical facts.

The Indian King Tavern occupies a site in the center of Haddonfield on Kings Highway, a major local route during the colonial and revolutionary periods. The building's oldest section is generally dated to about 1730. In 1745, Mathias Aspden, a Quaker merchant and ship owner, bought the property, removed poorly constructed brewery buildings, and developed a large tavern. The principal structure was traditionally considered complete by 1750, although later research has suggested that portions of the building may predate that date. The tavern served as a commercial and social center at a time when public houses were important places for trade, travel, discussion, and local governance. As the conflict between the British government and American Patriots grew, taverns also became politically sensitive locations. Aspden's son, Mathias Aspden Jr., returned from education in England as a committed Loyalist and later departed for England permanently. He was convicted of treason in absentia, and his holdings in southwestern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania were confiscated and sold, with proceeds directed to the Continental Treasury. Thomas Redman, a village apothecary, subsequently operated the tavern. He also served as clerk of the local Friends Meeting and was expected to read public documents expressing the Quaker community's pacifist position. In January 1777, a Continental Army officer arrested Redman and charged him with sedition. He was held in Woodbury and released after being fined on March 18. On the day of his release, the state used the tavern as a meeting place for a Council of Safety. The council dealt with people considered threats to the revolutionary government, including deserters and Loyalists. Local tradition associates the tavern cellar with temporary detention, although the precise use of the cellar remains uncertain. Redman sold the property less than two months later to Hugh Creighton. Creighton already operated another tavern close to Potter Street. That earlier establishment had been named Indian King by Sarah Norris, its original owner, as a gesture of respect toward Lenape people who had helped struggling European settlers. After Creighton's acquisition, the name was moved to the larger Kings Highway property. The building was therefore known at different times as the Creighton House, Creighton Tavern, and Indian King Tavern. The tavern remained exposed to the military movements of the American Revolution. British, Hessian, and Continental forces occupied or used parts of the surrounding area. Because the building was large and prominent, it likely provided lodging, meetings, or recreation for military travelers. Revolutionary commanders associated with movements along Kings Highway included Anthony Wayne, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Casimir Pulaski, although specific visits to the tavern should not be treated as fully documented in every case. The building's most important civic association came in 1777, when the New Jersey Legislature moved its meetings to Haddonfield after military activity disrupted its previous location. The General Assembly and Legislative Council met in the tavern's spacious second-floor room. The legislature formally entered the Declaration of Independence into its records and carried out the business of the new state there. The site is also connected with the adoption of New Jersey's Great Seal. Over subsequent generations, stories grew around the tavern. Claims that Dolley Madison regularly attended dances there and that underground passages beneath Kings Highway formed part of the Underground Railroad have been treated as legends rather than verified history. In 1903, New Jersey purchased the building, removed later additions, and restored its historic configuration. The property became the first New Jersey State Historic Site. It was later recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. The Indian King Tavern Museum is now administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection through its Division of Parks and Forestry. Public interpretation focuses on the building's architecture, tavern life, the Revolutionary War, the Council of Safety, and New Jersey's early state government. Tours generally cover the first and second floors; the cellar is not ordinarily part of the public tour. Because many original furnishings were unavailable or unsuitable for display, some interior accessories are period-style reproductions.

• 1903

  State acquisition and historic-site designation

  [1]Indian King Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  New Jersey acquired the building, removed later additions, and restored it. The property became the state's first official historic site.

• 1777

  State legislature meets at the tavern

  [1]Indian King Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  New Jersey's General Assembly and Legislative Council met at Indian King Tavern, read the Declaration of Independence into their minutes, and conducted state business there.

• 1777

  Council of Safety uses the tavern

  [1]Indian King Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  A Council of Safety used the tavern as a meeting place while dealing with alleged enemies of the revolutionary government.

• 1776

  New Jersey declares independence

  [1]Indian King Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  New Jersey adopted a constitution declaring itself independent on July 2, 1776, setting the political context for the tavern's later legislative role.

• 1750

  Principal tavern structure completed

  [1]Indian King Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  The principal account dates completion of the large tavern structure to 1750.

• 1745

  Mathias Aspden develops the tavern property

  [1]Indian King Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  Quaker merchant and ship owner Mathias Aspden purchased the property in Haddonfield and began developing a major tavern on Kings Highway.

• 1730

  Oldest portion of the building dated

  [1]Indian King Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  The oldest surviving part of the structure is dated to approximately 1730, earlier than the traditional completion date for the main tavern building.

A state-preserved Revolutionary-era tavern and public-history museum whose significance rests on its association with New Jersey's early government, the American Revolution, and the development of Haddonfield.

• Historic house museum · 1903

  Indian King Tavern Museum

  The museum preserves and interprets a colonial tavern associated with Haddonfield's civic life, the American Revolution, the Council of Safety, and the 1777 meetings of New Jersey's legislature. Public tours generally include the restored first and second floors. The presentation combines surviving architectural elements with period-style reproductions and explanatory interpretation.

• 1903

  New Jersey preserves the tavern as a state historic siteStrategy

  Background

  The building's association with New Jersey's revolutionary legislature and early statehood led the state to acquire it for preservation.

  Action taken

  The state removed later additions, restored the historic layout, and opened the property for public historical interpretation.

  Aftermath

  Indian King Tavern became the first New Jersey State Historic Site and remains a publicly administered museum.

  Source

1. 1Indian King Tavernen.wikipedia.org