...and Coffee House - St Mary's, MD - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

The plaque says, "In his will, Garrett Van Sweringen left the Council Chamber and "and Coffee house" to his wife and children. It is one of the earliest references to a coffee house in English America. Although built as a brew and bake house, archaeological evidence implies that it became the coffee house in the early 1690s. Coffee houses were a new and very fashionable institution in England during the second half of the 17th century. They became popular places for people to talk, exchange news, and conduct business. A coffee house in St. Mary's City is another example of Van Sweringen's innovative efforts to develop the urban character of the capital.

[Captions:]
Early coffee houses in England opened their doors to both gentry and tradesmen. Many establishments had rules to promote civilized behavior such as extracting a 12-pence penalty for those who swore. Card games and dice were forbidden but good conversation was encouraged.

Excavators found fragments of rare Turkish coffee cups at the site that date to the late 17th or early 18th century. According to rules for an English coffee house, if a man started a quarrel, he was expected to buy a "dish" of coffee for each patron. It is possible Garrett Van Sweringen was serving guests from such cups.

Smoking was a key part of the coffee house experience in the 17th century. Archaeologists excavated more pipes associated with this small building than were found on the rest of the Van Sweringen site."

Group that erected the marker: Historic St. Mary's City Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: St Mary's, MD URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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