The Taproom at Martin's Tavern

Craig Rybinski, Tavern Board Bring Home 2009 PHS Community Greening Award

2009-11-15T03:33:00.000-08:00

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society awarded a 2009 Community Greening Award to Martin's Tavern on Sunday, November 8 in Philadelphia.
Craig Rybinski, Bob Lyng and Linda Kaat accepted the award on behalf of Martin's Tavern.
Blaine Bonham, executive vice president of PHS noted the impact the participants have made in their communities. "Studies show quality green spaces enhance the health, beauty and economic vitality of an area and often serve as meeting places. This award represents a mark of excellence."

Bob Lyng, Linda Kaat (left) and Craig Rybinski (right) accept the 2009 PHS Community Greening Award from Blaine Bonham

Craig Rybinski is the owner of Craig Rybinski Garden Design in Avondale and created all the horticultural aspects of the Tavern site, which include many historically accurate period trees and plants. He and his crew, with occasional assistance from the Penn State Master Gardeners program and some local residents have been the main force behind the Tavern's consistently beautiful look.
Many thanks go to Craig, for his time, effort and dedication to Martin's Tavern. His work has paid off handsomely! Congratulations!

PHS ANNOUNCES 2009 COMMUNITY GREENING AWARD WINNERS

2009-11-15T03:30:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia, PA (November 2009)

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, producer of the Philadelphia International Flower Show and renowned urban greening program Philadelphia Green, paid tribute to Martin's Tavern, located in Marshallton, PA as a community greening champion this fall.
The Community Greening Award, a collaboration of PHS and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, recognizes individuals, garden clubs, civic associations, businesses, municipalities and community groups who have created and maintained public green spaces that enhance their communities. Drawing 84 entries this year from as far west as Erie, Pa., and with entries also coming from New Jersey and Delaware, the program honored 66 recipients at award ceremonies Nov. 1 in Pittsburgh and Nov. 8 in Philadelphia.
“We would like to congratulate all of the Community Greening Award participants for the impact they have made in their communities,” said Blaine Bonham, executive vice president of PHS. “Studies show quality green spaces enhance the health, beauty and economic vitality of an area and often serve as meeting places. This award represents a mark of excellence.”
Several entries this year included innovative ways to capture storm water run off such as rain gardens. Nominations included train stations, public parks, Main Street planters, church gardens, and landscapes around municipal buildings and museums. Spaces were judged on a host of criteria, including variety of plant material, maintenance, design, visual appeal, and use of space. Though these landscapes were not competing against each other, it was the task of the committee to determine which plantings deserved PHS recognition. Each group will receive a framed certificate along with a sign to display in the garden.
For a full list of winners, please visit the PHS website at PHSonline.com.
Headquartered in Philadelphia, PHS is a non-profit membership organization with more than 16,000 members spanning 48 states. PHS is the producer of the world-class Philadelphia International Flower Show, which will celebrate “Passport to the World” Feb. 28- March 7, 2010. Philadelphia Green works in partnership with agencies, corporations and community groups to transform derelict vacant land, streets and parks into vibrant, stabilized and well-managed open spaces. These efforts contribute to the quality of life throughout Philadelphia, serve as economic stimulus for communities, and provide a model for similar efforts nationwide.

West Bradford Township Fall Family Festival

2009-11-15T03:04:00.000-08:00

A good time was had by all at West Bradford's annual Fall Family Festival.
Apple cider, fire trucks, pumpkin decorating, balloons and hay rides kept the kids happy in the center of Marshallton.
Meanwhile, cracking fires, a colonial choir, hot dogs, treats, a friendly witch, and the occasional roar of a colonial cannon kept the western side of the village in the festive mood.

Here the McGrory family enjoys some quality time and some treats at Martin's Tavern.

Stop by Martin's Tavern for a Hauntingly Good Time

2009-09-26T03:26:00.000-07:00

The Fall Family Festival & Fun Night once more takes over Marshallton on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 from 5-8 PM and, for those old and brave enough to risk encounters with the 'supernatural', Martin's Tavern will once more be featured in the Ghost Walks.

Music, Refreshments, Story Telling & a Bonfire will also give you many reasons to visit our historic village. (Raindate is October 25th.)

4th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting

2009-09-26T03:03:00.000-07:00

The Friends of Martin's Tavern invite all to the 4th annual lighting of the Marshallton holiday tree on Saturday, December 12th from 4:00 - 6:00 PM on the grounds of Martin's Tavern, at the corner of Northbrook and Clayton Rd in historic Marshallton.

The start of the Holiday Tree Lighting coincides with the end of the 'Christmas in Marshallton' home tour run by the Marshallton United Methodist Church.

Join us as we sing carols around the tree and enjoy refreshments. Also, hop aboard the Christmas Cheer Wagon, lent for our use by it's kind owners. We hope to see you there and happy holidays from FOMT!

Martin's Tavern Featured in Chester County Night School Course

2009-08-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

The Friends of Martin's Tavern is proud to be hosting and helping to facilitate a new course for the Chester County Night School. From the Fall/Winter 2009 Catalog of Courses:

Historic Tour of Martin’s Tavern and Lunch at the Four Dogs Tavern
Facilitated by Alma Lyng, FOMT officer

Take a step back into history and rediscover the evening when Squire Cheyney and Col. Hannum strategized about warning General Washington of the British attack at Brandywine Battlefield.
Our adventure will begin with lunch at the Four Dogs Tavern in Marshallton, an 1800s in that served as a refuge for travelers and locals as well as a militia meeting place.
Then a short walk will take you to Martin’s Tavern where tour guides will tell the story of the tavern and how it connects to the history of Chester County.
The taverns ruins have been lovingly re-pointed and restored to an accurate historic footprint of the original building. Lunch is included in the fee.

The fee for the course is $35. The course number is SC1241. The meeting point is the Four Dogs Tavern at the corner of West Strasburg and Sugars Bridge Rds on Saturday, October 17th and the course runs from 11:30 AM till 2 PM.

To register visit

http://www.chestercountynightschool.org/

or call

(610) 692-1964

FOMT Recognized by Chester County

2009-08-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

In honor of the 5th anniversary of the dedication of the restored Martin’s Tavern as a village park, the Friends of Martin’s Tavern were presented with this citation by the Board of Commissioners of Chester County. FOMT is honored to be recognized by the County and thanks them for their support.

Fifth Anniversary Celebration

2009-05-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

Below you will find the official invitation to The Friends of Martin's Tavern Fifth Anniversary Celebration.

Friends old and new are welcome to join us and help support the work of our organization - the protection and upkeep of our wonderful and historic tavern grounds and park.

Here is the menu for the evening:

And here is the reply card if you are interested in attending or if you simply wish to make a donation:

If you require further information, call 610-696-7011.
Checks and your reply card can be mailed to:

Martin's Tavern 1400 West Strasburg Road West Chester, PA 19382

We look forward to seeing you there!

Martin's Tavern Colonial Supper and Silent Auction

2009-02-21T19:09:00.000-08:00

Please Save The Date

June 20, 2009

Martin's Tavern Colonial Supper

and Silent Auction

7 to 10 PM

Please join us as we celebrate our 5th Anniversary!

For Information call 610-696-7011

Invitations to Follow

Rain or Shine

3rd Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony

2008-12-02T20:01:00.001-08:00

The Friends of Martin's Tavern invite all to the 3rd annual lighting of the Marshallton holiday tree this Saturday, December 6th from 4:00 - 6:00 PM on the grounds of Martin's Tavern, at the corner of Northbrook and Clayton Rd in historic Marshallton.
Join us as we sing carols around the tree and enjoy refreshments. We hope to see you there and happy holidays from FOMT!

Memorial Day Parade

2008-05-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

The annual Marshallton Memorial Parade will be held on Sunday, May 25th.

At 1:30, the parade will start out from the Marshallton United Methodist Church.
At 2:00 a Ceremony will take place at the West Bradford Cemetery, immediately followed by a Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Methodist Church Cemetery
From 3:00-5:00 please join us for a reception, reflection and refreshments at Martin's Tavern. All are welcome.

Other Upcoming Events

2008-05-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

Thursday, July 31 - A walking tour of Marshallton sponsored by the Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau. Will meet at the Methodist Church at 5 PM. Reservations requested. For further information review the town walks pamphlet: http://westbradford.org/downloads/towntours08.pdf
Sunday, October 5th - Marshallton Triathlon - Celebrating 35 years! For information, directions and to race visit: http://www.marshaltontriathlon.com/index.php
Saturday, Oct 25 - Ghost Walk and Fall Festival in Marshallton. The 2nd year that the West Bradford Township Parks and Recreation Department will hold fall festivities in Marshallton. Martin's Tavern will of course be a part of the activities again this year.

From Decaying Hulk to Historic Park

2008-01-01T20:11:00.000-08:00

A SHORT PICTORAL ESSAY ON THE
(RE)CREATION OF MARTIN'S TAVERN

In 2005, the Friends of Martin’s Tavern (or FOMT), a citizen-formed non profit organization, initiated the demolition of the massive and abandoned three story apartment building that had come to dominate the sightlines of the center of Marshallton, an historic village a few miles west of West Chester, the county seat of Chester County, PA.

Originally FOMT has a desire to strip away the several additions to the original tavern structure and restore the building back to the size of the original tavern which had been constructed in the mid 1700s and was in use during the time of the American Revolution.
Under the trained eye of renowned architect, John Milner and a skilled and careful demolition team, the work began in earnest, starting right at the top.

Soon, the towering building began to shrink and the details of the original structure began to emerge.

X’s marked the spots where non-original and/or unstable structures were slated for demolition and removal. Eventually it became evident to the members of FOMT that the dream of seeing a completely restored building on the site was unattainable. Too many years had passed with too little maintenance and too many modifications to the original structure with non-period materials had been performed. Reluctantly the group realigned their goals to save the footprint of the original structure and create a micro-park on the site for for all to enjoy.

The end of the demolition phase left a nearly complete footprint built with original materials. Several important features such as the main fireplace in the lower floor food preparation area in the west side of the tavern and the dining area on the east side of the tavern with its smaller fireplaces were able to be restored enough to give visitors the sense of what it must have been like to visit back in the day. The imposing front wall and doorway that now greet travelers arriving from the south on Northbrook road was also just beginning its new life at this point.

Enter the masons… Working with wobbly towers of original colonial stone, skilled masons carefully re-pointed the surviving structure of the tavern, filling the spaces between the stones with durable mortar and leaving us with the beautifully restored stone edifices we see today from anywhere in the center of Marshallton.

Today the restored footprint of Martin’s Tavern and the green, manicured micro-park that surrounds it stands as a testimonial to the power of citizen action to make their communities better places to live. This picture shows the tavern festooned for the holidays in the winter of 2005.

Since the restoration, several neglected properties within site of the tavern have seen restorative work and the village grows more beautiful every year. While no one can claim that the restoration of the tavern by itself has sparked a renaissance of pride in Marshallton, it can be said that when a small village cares for its most neglected properties in this way, it can’t help but be an inspiration to those who own other historic structures in the village.

Friends of Martins Tavern T-Shirts Available

2007-12-31T18:13:00.000-08:00

Show everyone that you are a true friend of Martins Tavern with a high quality cotton T-shirt. With our group's name, location and the tavern's year of establishment emblazoned across your chest in authentic colonial stylings, your shirt will undoubtedly be the subject of many inquiries which, since we are a small non-profit group, we appreciate greatly.

The $25 donation that will bring you this prized shirt will go directly towards helping to preserve the tavern itself and the tavern park grounds, Marshallton's favorite place to gather for special outdoor village events.

In addition to the white shirt shown, we have black with white lettering, olive/khaki with cream lettering and blue with cream lettering.

To order a shirt, send a check payable to FOMT to

Friends of Martins Tavern

1400 W Strasburg Rd

West Chester, PA 19382

Be sure to include your color selection and the adult or children's size you require. Thanks and we hope you will soon enjoy wearing your new T-shirt.

Martins Tavern to Participate in West Bradford's Fall Family Fun Night & Marshallton Ghost Walk

2007-08-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

The Friends of Martins Tavern proudly supports West Bradford Township's Fall Family Fun Night events this year. On Saturday evening, October 20th the tavern grounds will host musical entertainment, historical re-enactors and some light refreshments.
We are just a small part of the planned events. The entire village will be buzzing with fun activities. For full details please check out the township's event page at:

http://westbradford.org/htmls/events.htm

Have fun!

Welcome to 'The Taproom at Martin's Tavern'

2007-04-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

As in any colonial tavern, the taproom is the place to catch up on information. Here you will discover the latest about forthcoming events at Martin's Tavern in the historic village of Marshallton, West Bradford Township, PA. Of course a taproom is also the best place to listen in on gossip and personal news and you can find out what is on the minds of various Friends of Martin's Tavern members as well. Some photos may be passed around and we will keep our archives handy for taproom patrons to review as well. Feel free to comment on anything you see or read and let us know how we can make your visit more enjoyable (click on the comments link under the respective post), but keep it clean and friendly or the barmaids will issue forth and clean up your writings.

Memorial Day Reception... Stop by Martin's Tavern After the Parade

2007-04-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

A reception will follow the annual Memorial Day parade at Martin's Tavern at the corner of Northbrook and Clayton Roads in Marshallton, West Bradford Township on May 27th. Neighbors and parade attendees are invited to attend.
The parade is set to leave the Marshallton Methodist Church parking lot at 1:30 with a 2 PM ceremony scheduled at the Bradford Cemetery.
After the ceremony ends, let's celebrate a Marshallton Spring afternoon together in peace and friendship as we remember those who missed or who will miss many such afternoons, having made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their nation.

Dedication Ceremony - Sunday, September 24

2006-09-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!
Ladies and gentlemen....
I've been asked to post the following notice at the bar:

"The Families of American Patriots

Colonel John Hannum and Squire Thomas Cheyney

and the Board of the Friends of Martin's Tavern

Bid Thee Welcome and Invite Thee

A Dedication Ceremony

Sunday, September 24, 2006

4:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.

To be held at Martin's Tavern

Clayton at Northbrook Road

Marshallton Village, Pennsylvania

Come Share in the Celebration with

our good committee and neighbors.

Colonial Refreshments and Entertainment

All Are Welcome

Rain or Shine

R.S.V.P. 610-436-4444"

Keep in mind, good folks, that officers of the local fire department will close Northbrook road in front of our tavern for the duration of the festivities and we don't have a parking lot anyway so, unless you arrive on horseback, there will be a small bit of walking to do.

For those who must journey by vehicle, parking is being accommodated at the Marshallton Methodist Church, the Marshallton Nursery, The Goddard School and The Marshalton Inn.

and we thank all of these generous institutions and businessess for their graciousness.

Come and join us and, while celebrating, please consider making a small donation (or large... we're not picky) towards the upkeep of the tavern and the surrounding grounds.

News Regarding the Rebellion

2006-08-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

We have just posted some new information regarding the rebellion against the crown.
Some militia members stopped in to drown their sorrows after the debilitating defeat of General Washington as he attempted to defend Philadelphia from the crown's forces at Chad's Ford just downstream.
These lads did tell us, however, that a couple of regular visitors to our taproom saved many a patriots' life by speeding word of General Howe's manuever across nearby Trimble's ford to the colonial forces on the day of the battle.
If you want to hear more about this, come up to the bar and look at these documents.