The Raleigh Tavern on The Duke of Gloucester Street in Williamsburg Va
Established about 1717, the Raleigh was named for Sir Walter Raleigh, who attempted the first colonization of Virginia in 1585. The tavern stood as a political and nonpolitical hub for many years.
When the House of Burgesses protested the Townshend Acts in 1769 and the chamber was dissolved, some members met and reconvened as private citizens at the tavern.
These meetings at the Raleigh in 1773 included lawmakers Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Francis Lightfoot Lee and Dabney Carr. They planned the introduction of a resolution to create a standing Committee of Correspondence.
The tavern served other nonpolitical interests. Theater tickets were sold at the Raleigh, and merchandise and slaves were auctioned from its steps. Though he usually stayed elsewhere, George Washington often dined at the Raleigh, as did many other leading Virginians. Thomas Jefferson, a College of William and Mary student, attended a ball at Raleigh Tavern with Rebecca Burwell in 1763.
In 1776, a group of College of William and Mary students met at Raleigh Tavern and founded Phi Beta Kappa. In 1779, a group of men met at the Raleigh and formed the Pulaski Club, a group that still meets and might be the oldest men's social organization in the U.S..
Williamsburg's celebration of the Treaty of Paris in 1783 began at the courthouse and ended at the Raleigh. When the Marquis de Lafayette returned to Williamsburg in 1824 in the course of an American tour, a feast was given in his honor at the Raleigh. Among the guests were Chief Justice John Marshall and John C. Calhoun.
The Raleigh Tavern on The Duke of Gloucester Street in Williamsburg Va
Established about 1717, the Raleigh was named for Sir Walter Raleigh, who attempted the first colonization of Virginia in 1585. The tavern stood as a political and nonpolitical hub for many years.
When the House of Burgesses protested the Townshend Acts in 1769 and the chamber was dissolved, some members met and reconvened as private citizens at the tavern.
These meetings at the Raleigh in 1773 included lawmakers Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Francis Lightfoot Lee and Dabney Carr. They planned the introduction of a resolution to create a standing Committee of Correspondence.
The tavern served other nonpolitical interests. Theater tickets were sold at the Raleigh, and merchandise and slaves were auctioned from its steps. Though he usually stayed elsewhere, George Washington often dined at the Raleigh, as did many other leading Virginians. Thomas Jefferson, a College of William and Mary student, attended a ball at Raleigh Tavern with Rebecca Burwell in 1763.
In 1776, a group of College of William and Mary students met at Raleigh Tavern and founded Phi Beta Kappa. In 1779, a group of men met at the Raleigh and formed the Pulaski Club, a group that still meets and might be the oldest men's social organization in the U.S..
Williamsburg's celebration of the Treaty of Paris in 1783 began at the courthouse and ended at the Raleigh. When the Marquis de Lafayette returned to Williamsburg in 1824 in the course of an American tour, a feast was given in his honor at the Raleigh. Among the guests were Chief Justice John Marshall and John C. Calhoun.