69. Allen House Tavern and Massacre site Traditional Cache

The rich history of the Allen House Tavern Museum includes many historic events, a Revolutionary War massacre (1779) and by legend, a visit from President and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson (1916) who stopped in for goods during a period when the property acted as a local store.

The Allen House operated as a Tavern during the Revolutionary War which served multiple purposes for the community, in addition to serving alcohol and food, they offered lodging to travelers. They also served as places for a wide range of public functions, including town meetings, legal courts, and elections.

At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, the tavern was operated by Josiah Halstead. An Important Shrewsbury Town Meeting Occurred at the Tavern Just Before the Start of the Revolutionary War, concerning a "Committee of Observation"

By 1774, tensions were increasing between the thirteen American colonies and Great Britain, just prior to the Revolutionary War. The First Continental Congress convened in September, with delegates representing all thirteen British Colonies in America. By late October, the Continental Congress had agreed on a series of guidelines to address the current situation. One part of the guidelines stated that every town throughout the colonies should form a committee of observation, whose purpose would be to observe the local residents to make sure that they honor the other rules set forth in the document. One such meeting was held tavern on January 17, 1775 at the by the residents of Shrewsbury. The meeting was announced by posting the following notice for local residents to read:

The meeting was announced by posting the following notice for local residents to read:

"Agreeable to the Resolutions of the Late General Continental Congress—The Inhabitants of the town of Shrewsbury, more Especially Such as are properly Qualified for Choosing Representatives to Serve in General Assembly, are hereby Warned to meet at the House of Josiah Halstead, in said Shrewsbury, on Tuesday the 17th of this Instant, January, at noon, in Order to Choose a Committee for the Several purposes as Directed By the Said Congress".

Between thirty and forty local residents attended the meeting, but instead of forming a committee of observation, they voted not to have one. Their reasoning was described in a letter written by one of the attendees the following day:

Between thirty and forty of the most respectable freeholders accordingly met and after a few debates on the business of the day, which were carried on with great decency and moderation, it was generally agreed (there being only four or five dissenting voices) that the appointment of a committee was not only useless, but they were apprehensive would prove a means of disturbing the peace and quietness which had hitherto existed in the township, and would continue to use their utmost endeavours to preserve and to guard against running upon that rock, on which, with much concern, they behold others, through an inattentive rashness, daily splitting.

Shrewsbury's decision not to create a Committee of Observation was met with disapproval by others in Monmouth County. A letter was sent from the County seat in Freehold to the citizens of Shrewsbury, asking them to reconsider. On May 27, another meeting was held in a different tavern which did create a committee of observation for Shrewsbury.

By that time, the political disagreements between the colonies and Britain had turned into a shooting war. The previous month, the first battle of the Revolutionary War had occurred at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts on April 19.

During the summer of 1779, four years into the Revolutionary War, the Allen House Tavern was the site of a Tory attack which has become known as the "Allen House Massacre."but it was no longer operated by Josiah Halstead.

Tories (also referred to as Loyalists) were Americans who remained loyal to the British in the Revolutionary War. Violence between Loyalists and those who supported Independence happened throughout many parts of New Jersey, but Monmouth County was a particular hotspot for this type of fighting. Monmouth County saw many attacks by Loyalist raiding parties.

The one known recorded account of the Allen House Massacre was written many years later in a letter by a Shrewsbury resident named Lyttleton White, who claimed to have heard the story on several occasions from Joseph Price, one of the Tories involved in the raid.

"In the summer of 1779 - there was a Lieutenant stationed at Shrewsbury with a guard of 12 men to watch the movements of the Tories so called - and quartered in the house where Doctor Edmund W. Allen now lives - five of the Tories or Refugees came in a boat up a branch of South Shrewsbury River - landed and under cover of woods hedges and etc. - got the south side of the Episcopal Church about 6 rods from the above said house - the party being headed by Joseph Price and Richard Lippincott - they held a parlay + by looking from the corner of said church they found no sentries set and [the American soldiers] lounging about, not under arms - Price then ordered his party to fix their bayonets and started on full run for the house, where the troops was quartered - their arms all stood together in the North room - one of Price's men grabbed them all in his arms - A scuffle took place being 12 [American soldiers] to 5 of the Refugees - the man who held fast on the guns of the American troops was thrown but held fast - they put the bayonet through one of the 12 and he fell at once on the floor - and run two more of the them through, the Lieutenant then surrendered -- one of the two last killed got out into the road, his bowels coming out, he soon died; the other one got somewhat farther off and fell and likewise died - - [The Tories] took the other 9 prisoners - broke their guns round a Locust tree, and made their escape".

This cache is one of "The American Revolution Geo~Trail" caches throughout New Jersey. These special geocaches are hidden at many historic locations which have a connection to important New Jersey's American Revolutionary War history. To participate in the optional Geo-Trail, after you find the geocache, locate the secret code and record it into your passport which you will print from this website. Information at njpatriots.org

The Northern New Jersey Cachers, NNJC is about promoting a quality caching experience in Northern New Jersey. For information on The Northern New Jersey Cachers group you can visit: www.nnjc.org.