The Van Syckel's Tavern in Bethlehem Township, NJ
Date
2009-03-22
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Description
This house was used as a tavern in the 1700's into the 1800's.
Today it is usually referred to as Van Syckel's tavern, but it was not called that until over a decade after the Revolutionary War ended. It was first known as Reynolds Tavern, after its original owner, David Reynolds, who built the building in 1763.
Although Reynolds would not live to see the Revolutionary War, he and his tavern were connected with interesting incidents in the decade before the war began.
Before thirteen colonies in America declared their Independence from Britain during the Revolutionary War, each of the individual colonies printed its own currency.
A man named Samuel Ford began counterfeiting currency for the colonies of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York in the 1760's. He was apparently very successful in his counterfeiting and produced fake bills which fooled most people. He operated his counterfeiting press in great secrecy.
Sometime before 1773, David Reynolds was brought into Ford's counterfeiting ring. In addition to helping with the distribution of the counterfeit bills, Reynolds also helped Ford procure type for his printing press.
In the summer of 1773, Ford and one of his accomplices were captured and held prisoner at the jail on the Morristown Green. The four prisoners were scheduled to be executed on September 17. The other three men ended up having a delay put on their execution and were later pardoned, but Reynolds was hanged that day before a large crowd at the jail on the Morristown Green.
One of the guests who frequently stayed at the tavern was Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon.
It was a meeting place for the Sons of Liberty.
Original file name 3372982251_f025427e9c_o (1).jpg
Original file name 3372982251_f025427e9c_o (1).jpg
Keywords
The Van Syckel's Tavern, The Reynolds Tavern, US History, American History, History, Bethlehem Township, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, U.S. Historic district, New Jersey Register of Historic Places, Hunterdon County, The Skylands, NJ Skylands, Jersey Skylands, Lakeland, New Jersey Skylands, New Jersey, Nj, Jersey, The Garden State
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