Historic Williamsburg

27. Wetherburn Tavern

Williamsburg, VA

Book Now

The Wetherburn Tavern stands on Duke of Gloucester Street, just across the street from the Raleigh Tavern. In 1731 Henry Wetherburn applied for a marriage license to marry Mary Bowcock, the widow of the keeper of Raleigh Tavern. Henry and his new wife became executors of the Bowcock estate after they married. Later that year Wetherburn applied for a tavern license and began operating the Raleigh Tavern himself. He developed a good reputation as tavern keeper, and the members of many prominent local families such as the Randolphs and Jeffersons frequented his establishment. In 1738 he purchased the two available lots where the Wetherburn Tavern now stands, and began building a house on the grounds. In 1742 the Raleigh Tavern, where Wetherburn had been working, changed owners. Wetherburn decided to open up his own tavern in his home. Mary Bowcock passed away in 1751. Ten days later, Wetherburn married Ann Shields, the widow of local tavern keeper James Shields. Henry then became the executor of the Shields estate, and managed it until James Shields, the son of James and Anne, came of age and inherited the property. The Wetherburn Tavern was very popular with the Williamsburg elite, so Henry added a 'great room' to his establishment around 1750 so that he would have a large space to entertain guests. An elegant dinner was held in the Great Room in honor of Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie, who arrived in Williamsburg in 1751. After Henry died in 1760, various tavern keepers including James Southall, Robert Anderson and Ambrose Davenport operated the tavern, and it changed names multiple times. George Washington wrote about having dinner at Southall's in 1764 and again in 1769. The Capitol moved to Richmond during the 1780s, and after that the tavern business slowed in Williamsburg. During the 19thcentury the building was used as a boarding house, a private home, a store, and a girl's school. Mrs. Virginia Bruce Haughwout owned the property by 1918. She leased the property to Colonial Williamsburg in 1964, under an agreement that Colonial Williamsburg would return the house to its colonial appearance. The archaeological excavation and renovations took place between 1966 and 1968. Changes that were made during the nineteenth century, such as the addition of front and rear porches, were removed so that the house appeared as it did during the 18thcentury.An extensive inventory of Henry Wetherburn's personal property was taken after his death, and this inventory gave curators ample information to refurnish the interior.