Seven Pennsylvania Inns Where the Revolutionary War Never Checked Out
Photo: colonial era stone tavern inn exterior candlelight Pennsylvania, via oldstonehouses.com
Museums close at five. Inns don't. If you really want to feel the 18th century, spend a night in a building that watched the Continental Army go by — creaky floors, low doorways, and all. Pennsylvania is thick with taverns and stagecoach stops that earned their keep during the Revolution, and a surprising number still take guests. Here are seven worth booking.
1. The Dobbin House Tavern — Gettysburg
Built in 1776 (yes, that year) by a Presbyterian minister, the Dobbin House served as a station on the Underground Railroad before hosting soldiers — Union and Confederate — during the 1863 battle. Today it's a restaurant and small inn with stone walls three feet thick. Rooms run roughly $200–300 a night. Haunted? Staff will tell you about a friendly spirit or two, but honestly, the history here doesn't need help.
2. The Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm — Holicong
This Bucks County property dates to the 1740s and sits in Washington's Crossing country — the Continental Army camped and marched through this area repeatedly. The farmstead's stone farmhouse now operates as a luxury B&B, rooms from around $250. Ghost reports: minimal. Peaceful Colonial-era ambiance: maximal.
3. The General Warren Inne — Malvern
The spelling of "Inne" is original, and so is most of the 1796 building, which replaced an earlier tavern that hosted Revolutionary officers passing along the Lancaster Road. It's minutes from Valley Forge, where you can walk the encampment grounds by day and sleep in a period building by night. Rooms run $180–280. The tavern downstairs pours by candlelight, which never hurts.
4. The Golden Plough Tavern — York Area
York briefly served as home to the Continental Congress when Philadelphia was under British threat, and the Golden Plough Tavern (c. 1741) stood witness. The tavern itself is now a museum, but York's surrounding historic B&Bs put you within walking distance of it. Budget $150–200. If you want the tavern experience itself, plan around their living-history events.
5. The Sun Inn — Bethlehem
The Moravians built the Sun Inn in 1758, and it quickly became the place where everyone important stayed — Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams all passed through its doors. The inn survived the war years hosting soldiers and officers alike. The building now operates as a museum with a tavern serving period-inspired food; overnight options nearby in the historic Moravian district put you steps from the original rooms. Prices in the district run $150–250.
6. The Inn at Leola Village — Lancaster County
Lancaster was the nation's capital for exactly one day in 1777, and this reconstructed inn complex honors the region's 18th-century tavern tradition with modern luxury. Rooms from about $200. The original 1800s buildings on site housed travelers on the old Philadelphia-to-Pittsburgh turnpike route. Hauntings: none reported, unless you count the ghost of your diet after the dining room's dessert menu.
7. The Betsy Ross House Area Stays — Philadelphia
Okay, technically the Betsy Ross House doesn't take lodgers. But Philadelphia's Society Hill and Old City neighborhoods are full of innkeeper-run B&Bs in buildings from the 1750s–1790s — many of which housed Revolutionary-era tradespeople and, during the occupation of 1777–78, British officers. The Morris House Hotel occupies a mansion built in 1787. Rooms run $200–350. Ask the innkeeper about the building's war years over the complimentary sherry.
Booking Tips for the Heritage Traveler
- Book the oldest room. Most historic inns have one or two rooms in the original 1700s section. Ask when you reserve.
- Verify the provenance. Reputable inns love telling their building's story — if a website can't date its own structure, be skeptical.
- Go off-season. January at a colonial inn, fireplace going, is a different (and cheaper) experience than July.
- Ask about the ghosts. Whether or not you believe, the stories are half the fun — and innkeepers keep the best ones for guests who ask.
Sleep in a Holiday Inn, and you'll remember the pool. Sleep in a 1776 stone tavern, and you'll remember the trip for the rest of your life.
