Charlton's Coffeehouse

78C4+M7 Williamsburg, Virginia

Virginia

state

James City

county

VA - Williamsburg

city

MUSEUM

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Archaeological excavation of the foundation told the story of a building one and a half stories tall and 35 feet square, with a single, central chimney punctured with seven fireplaces. Food probably was prepared in the cellar and carried to customers upstairs. A gentry establishment that permitted no women, its sequestered rooms provided a place to conduct confidential business, or to host exclusive gatherings.

SITE FEATURES

Restaurant, Surviving Structures

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R. Charlton's Coffeehouse stood just a few steps from the colonial Capitol, its convenient location making it a popular stop for Williamsburg elite. Around tables that held steaming cups of coffee and chocolate, gentlemen and politicians met to make deals and strengthen connections.

TAVERN

EST. 1750

Perhaps more important to history than these private salons was the front porch, a simple shelter spanning the building's face. Here, Williamsburg's objection to England's Stamp Tax manifested as a vicious mob. The story goes that George Mercer, a stamp agent just sent from England, was chased down Duke of Gloucester Street by an angry crowd which protested the tax. It was on the porch of R. Charlton's Coffeehouse where Mercer took refuge, protected by no less a person than Governor Fauquier.