Jean Bonnet Tavern
Encyclopedia
The Jean Bonnet Tavern, also known as Old Forks Inn and Bonnet's Tavern, is an historic inn
and restaurant
located just outside Bedford, Pennsylvania
on U.S. Highway 30
, at the junction with Pennsylvania Route 31
.
The building was erected by Robert Callender, a trader with the Native American
tribes of Pennsylvania. Callender acquired the land in 1762. The land and the building were purchased by Jean Bonnet in 1779 and opened as an inn, which was used as a gathering place by protesting local farmers during the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion
, suppressed months later by forces under President
George Washington
.
Although the building has changed hands many times through the years, the Bonnett Family of West Virginia are the direct descendants of Jean Bonnet and trace their family history back nearly 400 years.
It is a 2 1/2 to 3 1/2-story, building measuring 40 feet by 51 feet and constructed of cut fieldstone
. The walls are over two feet thick. The four interior levels have nearly 8,000 square feet. It features two levels of porches that extend the entire length of the front and the rear elevations. It is operated as a bed and breakfast
.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1979.
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
and restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
located just outside Bedford, Pennsylvania
Bedford, Pennsylvania
Bedford is a borough in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, west of the State Capital, Harrisburg. It is the county seat of Bedford County. Bedford was established in the mid-18th century. Population counts follow: 1890, 2,242; 1900, 2,167; 1910, 2,385. The population was 3,141 at the 2000...
on U.S. Highway 30
U.S. Route 30 in Pennsylvania
In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, U.S. Route 30 runs east–west across the southern part of the state, passing through Pittsburgh and Philadelphia on its way from the West Virginia state line east to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge over the Delaware River into New Jersey...
, at the junction with Pennsylvania Route 31
Pennsylvania Route 31
Pennsylvania Route 31 is a long state highway located in Western Pennsylvania, paralleling U.S. Route 30 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike for most of its length. The designation begins at PA 136 near West Newton and ends at US 30 near Bedford....
.
The building was erected by Robert Callender, a trader with the Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes of Pennsylvania. Callender acquired the land in 1762. The land and the building were purchased by Jean Bonnet in 1779 and opened as an inn, which was used as a gathering place by protesting local farmers during the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
, suppressed months later by forces under President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
.
Although the building has changed hands many times through the years, the Bonnett Family of West Virginia are the direct descendants of Jean Bonnet and trace their family history back nearly 400 years.
It is a 2 1/2 to 3 1/2-story, building measuring 40 feet by 51 feet and constructed of cut fieldstone
Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally...
. The walls are over two feet thick. The four interior levels have nearly 8,000 square feet. It features two levels of porches that extend the entire length of the front and the rear elevations. It is operated as a bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1979.
See also
- My Ghost StoryMy Ghost StoryMy Ghost Story is an American television series on the paranormal, which premiered on July 17, 2010 on the Biography Channel. The series features ghost stories told from a person's own experience with the supernatural. Each episode features first hand eyewitness accounts of stories of encounters at...
, A television series featuring the Jean Bonnet Tavern on April 30, 2011
External links
- Jean Bonnet Tavern website
- Jean Bonnet Tavern, 6048 Lincoln Highway, Bedford vicinity, Bedford, PA: 2 photos, 2 data pages, and 1 photo caption page at Historic American Building Survey