Historic Williamsburg

26. King's Arms Tavern

Williamsburg, VA

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The King's Arms Tavern was built somewhere between 1749 and 1760. Its original dimensions were 57 feet by 24 feet. Inside, the tavern had fourteen rooms and a bar. Its outbuildings included a kitchen that was nearly as large as the tavern, as well as a laundry and a stable. This building has a gambrel roof, which is a symmetrical, two-sided roof with two slopes. On February 6, 1772 Jane Vobe, a well-respected tavern keeper from the York Road section of Williamsburg, announced in the Gazette that she had "just opened a Tavern across from the Raleigh, at the Sign of the King's Arms, being the house lately occupied by Mr. John Carter, and shall be much obliged to the gentlemen who favour me with their Company." The Sign of the King's Arms ranked with Wetherburn's and the Raleigh as one of the best taverns in town, and George Washington was a frequent diner and lodger at Mrs. Vobe's establishment. Like many tavern keepers of the time period, Mrs. Vobe cultivated a garden on the grounds so she could offer vegetables to her dining customers in addition to their regular fare of meats and grains. The Revolutionary War necessitated a name change, so The Sign of the King's Arms became the Eagle Tavern around this time period. Costumed staff members currently serve house specialties such as Colonial Game Pye, Peanut Soupe and Mrs. Vobe's Tavern Shrimp, along with a variety of seasonal offerings.