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7/4/2011 - Visit Historic Potter's Tavern On July 4th

Celebrate The Fourth Of July By Visiting Historic Potter’s Tavern
On Monday, July 4th

You are invited to stop in and tour the tavern between the hours of 1 to 4 p.m. It is located on Broad Street in Bridgeton (opposite the Cumberland County Courthouse) and is certified as a national landmark.

Celebrate The Fourth Of July By Visiting Historic Potter’s Tavern On Monday, July 4thTavern keeper Matthew Potter, Jr. came to Bridgeton from Philadelphia and opened the tavern in 1773. It became a favorite meeting place for the local young men just before the Revolutionary War. Today, it is one of New Jersey’s most significant historical shrines and is an excellent example of the type of frame houses built in New Jersey during the 17th and 18th centuries.

It was here that the Plain Dealer, Cumberland County’s pioneer newspaper, was published for the purpose of supporting the drive for American liberty from the Crown rule. The fact that Matthew Potter gave a home to the Plain Dealer placed him in personal danger, risking a charge of treason during this time. The distinguished historian, John T. Cunningham, said that the fact the Plain Dealer appeared every Tuesday morning probably made it New Jersey’s first regular “newspaper.” There were sundry topics in this weekly manuscript that were contributed by members of a Bridgeton literary association.

Some of the leading citizens who wrote articles included Dr. Jonathan Elmer, Dr. Lewis Howell, Richard Howell, Ebenezer Elmer, Joseph Bloomfield and Thomas Harris Jr. Richard Howell and Joseph Bloomfield later became governors of New Jersey.

If you have any questions,, please call the office of the Cumberland County Historical Society at (856) 455-4055 or you may visit the home of the CCHS, located in the Gibbon House, at 960 Ye Greate St., in Greenwich. Office hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 1 to 4 p.m.

 

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164 W. Broad St., Bridgeton, NJ 08302
Phone: (856) 453-2125