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Replica Colonial Philadelphia Tavern, Birthplace of U.S. Marines, Set to Begin This Spring

A replica of the historic Tun Tavern, birthplace of the U.S. Marines, is set to be constructed in Philadelphia's Old City neighborhood. Spearheaded by The Tun Legacy Foundation, the project aims to honor not only the Marine Corps but also other organizations that frequented the original tavern. Construction is expected to begin in spring, with a planned opening in time for the Marine Corps' 250th birthday in 2025, although financial challenges may cause delays.

Wed January 15, 2025 - Northeast Edition #3
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Philadelphia hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking in November for "The Tun" as part of a project to re-create the historic tavern known to every U.S. Marine as the service's birthplace.

The construction site is located at 19 South 2nd Street in Philadelphia's Old City neighborhood, about 250 yards from the original Tun Tavern site, under what is now Interstate 95.

The $21 million project is spearheaded by The Tun Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit group led by Marine Corps veteran and Philly native Patrick Dailey.

While the ceremony did not mark the official start of construction, the foundation used the occasion to celebrate the Marine Corps' 249th birthday as a symbolic milestone, affirming the project's commitment to becoming a reality.

Marine Corps Times reported that Capt. Samuel Nicholas started the Marines at Tun Tavern on Nov. 10, 1775, when he signed up the first volunteers who began a legacy that would later include Iwo Jima, Chosin, Hue and Fallujah, along with nicknames such as "Devil Dog" and "Leatherneck."

The old Tun Tavern also was purportedly the location where John Adams and the Naval Committee met in 1775 to write the documents structuring what would become the U.S. Navy, according to foundation research.

The original Tun Tavern served as a mariners' bar and meeting place for several notable organizations, including the Marines, the Navy, the Society of St. George, the Pennsylvania Freemasons, St. Andrew's Society and the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.

While the new tavern will honor its Marine Corps connection, The Tun will remain true to its historical roots, paying tribute to all six organizations, Dailey said at the groundbreaking.

"This is not a Marine Corps museum. We have one of those in Quantico [Va.]," he explained. "This is a re-creation of a mariner's tavern."

With that in mind, Dailey plans for sections of the tavern to showcase its storied history.

Original menus, donated by the Society of St. Andrew's, will guide some of the offerings. Plans include a microbrewery and a colonial-style warehouse attached to the replicated tavern, to be dubbed the Peg Mullan's Beefsteak Club, which is what the tavern was known as in the 1740s.

Historical records show the original Tun Tavern was first granted its business license in 1686 and likely opened for operation as a brewery that served beer to patrons in 1693, he added.

The establishment may have been the first bar that visitors saw when they got off their boats on the Delaware River, the main waterway for ship traffic to Philadelphia. Taverns in colonial times were centers of commerce, politics, community events and more.

"I really would like to see it established as the place to go to experience a meal or experience colonial Philadelphia," Dailey explained. "It was such an iconic place in the history of Philadelphia and America."

Construction Should Begin Next Spring

Stanley Weglarz, director of project management with Wolfe Scott Associates in Norristown, Pa., told Construction Equipment Guide on Jan. 7 that his firm expects The Tun's full construction to begin in either March or April.

Until then, preconstruction activities are ongoing at the site.

"No subcontractors are 100 percent on board yet as we are pricing the project — we are still in the early stages of that process," Weglarz explained. "The drawings are done, and zoning approvals are in progress."

He added that the South 2nd Street property purchased by The Tun Legacy Foundation for the new tavern is currently an on-grade parking lot.

The planned opening date for the rebuild is Nov. 10, 2025, to coincide with the Marine Corps' 250th birthday, but financial challenges could delay the project.

The foundation has received two major donations of $1 million, along with more from fundraising events aided by volunteers, Dailey told Stars and Stripes late last year, but it will need plenty more to fully realize the vision.

"If we don't have enough funds, we'll probably have to slow things down, which would be unfortunate," he acknowledged.

Finished or not, Dailey plans to host a commemorative event for the Marines at The Tun site next year.

A more realistic opening date, he admitted, may be 2030, aligning with the 300th anniversary of the Freemasons, another key group from the original tavern's history.

"People thank me for building the tavern," Dailey said. "I'm not building the tavern — it's a community effort."

Contributions have come in many forms, including construction, labor and materials offers from veterans and industry professionals.

Once operational, proceeds from the new Tun Tavern and restaurant will go to charities connected to the organizations with connections to Tun Tavern, Dailey said in speaking with Marine Corps Times.

Marines to Enjoy Bar of Their Own in Philly

About a decade ago, Dailey was at Cookie's Tavern in Philadelphia where, for years, the owner, a Marine Vietnam Veteran, hosted a street party for the Marine Corps birthday that saw as many as 3,000 people show up to a hole-in-the-wall bar that could seat maybe a dozen drinkers.

Dailey thought, if thousands of Marines travel from all over the country on their birthday to this bar, what would they do if Philly had a Tun Tavern of its own?

The project also has the support of retired Lt. Gen. Charles Chiarotti, the president and CEO of the Marine Corps Association and a key figure within the service.

Marine Corps Times noted that Chiarotti has said previously that a new Tun Tavern would mean that "Marines of past, present and future will have their rightful gathering spot in the very city where the Marine Corps was formed."

Although growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs, Dailey was unaware of the famed drinking spot and its place in Corps lore until 1981, when a barrel-chested gunnery sergeant spit out Marine Corps history and facts as Dailey huffed through the early weeks of Officer Candidate School at Marine Corps Base Quantico.

He'd never heard of The Tun in all his years near Philadelphia.

"I thought, ‘This guy doesn't know what he's talking about,'" Dailey told the Times. "But you don't correct a gunnery sergeant in Officer Candidate School."

He would go on to serve in the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and the 3rd Marine Division from 1981 to 1985 before rejoining civilian life. The former officer worked a nearly 40-year career in accounting and pharmaceuticals and along the way got involved with Marine and community-centered nonprofits.

If you would like to donate, please visit https://thetun.org/contribute/general-contributions/




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