Program

Hometown Heritage®

Subject

Building, Site

Location

521 US-22, White House Station, NJ 08889, USA

Lat/Long

40.622444651708, -74.765738551102

Grant Recipient

Forgotten Victory Trail Non-Profit Association

The White House tavern is thought to have been built around 1750. During the Revolutionary War the structure served as a commissary and forage store for the Continental Army under the ownership of Abraham Van Horne. Van Horne served as an assistant or deputy to the New Jersey Quartermaster, Moore Furman.

Revolutionary War Service

The tavern supported the Continental Army throughout the conflict:

• July 1777: George Washington ordered a shipment of bread to the tavern for his detachment during their march from Morristown toward Flemington.
• June 1778: The tavern was designated as a stopping point on marching orders for the army traveling north from Valley Forge.
• Travel Records: Vouchers and expense reports indicate use by various officers, including Colonel Alexander Hamilton in 1778.

Abraham Van Horne operated the commissary alongside his son. His son’s pension records document his service as both a soldier and a provider of resources at the tavern. These supply operations continued until 1782.

A map from 1777 places the White House tavern in the vicinity of the Memorial Park Cemetery. Following a period of neglect, the building collapsed in the 1880s. The original foundation stones were subsequently incorporated into the wall bordering the cemetery. The hamlet of Whitehouse takes its name from The White House tavern.