Sundays in July plus July 4 -- Cumberland County
Potter’s Tavern to be Open in July 2019
The Cumberland County Historical Society is very excited to announce that the Potter’s Tavern will be open every Sunday during the month of July (2019) between the hours of 1 – 4 P.M. In addition, we will be open on Thursday, July 4. You are invited to stop in and tour the Tavern between the hours of 1 to 4 P.M. It is located at 51 West Broad Street in Bridgeton (opposite the Cumberland County Court House) and is certified as a national landmark.
We hope you will join us for a tour of this historical building and explore one of the County’s oldest preserved landmarks.
July 7th
July 14th
July 21st
July 28th
Tavern 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 century. 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.”