EVERYONE IS INVITED TO: The annual meeting of Pittsburgh’s Old Stone Tavern Friends.
When: Saturday, September 20, 2025, from 1pm to 3pm
Where: The West End Healthy Active Living Center, 80 Wabash Street, 15220
Speaker: Jason Cherry will present as the soldier, trader and frontiersman William Trent.
Jason Cherry is the author of two books on the life of William Trent. He published Pittsburgh’s Lost Outpost: Captain Trent’s Fort in 2019 and William Trent: Factor of Ambition in 2024. Captain William Trent and company were famously in the process of building Fort Prince George at the Forks of the Ohio on behalf of the English when the French overtook in 1754 and built Fort Duquesne in its place marking the start of the French and Indian War that set off British financial troubles spawning The American Revolution.
The Tavern, believed to have come alive in 1782, still stands at the corner of Greentree Rd and Woodville Ave in Pittsburgh’s West End, and our Carnegie Library is in possession this Tavern ledger, recently lovingly restored, which also spans a critical time in the Whiskey Rebellion over federal taxation. Members feel that finding this ledger is like finding the Rosetta Stone of Pittsburgh history.
From 1793 to 1797, in a script fine and feathery, an Old Stone Tavern innkeeper recorded the names and accounts of his pioneer patrons. He wrote down, still using English pounds and shillings, what his customers ate, what they drank and what they bought, from beef and bacon, cloth and clothing, to hay and oats for their horses.
As the earliest written record of the tavern, the ledger serves of a who’s who of early Western Pennsylvania patriots. In fact, some 109 American Revolutionary soldiers downed a pint or two at this favorite watering hole.
Pittsburgh Old Stone Tavern Friends Trust’s decade long term mission has been to secure ownership of the tavern and its property, provide for its long-term preservation, and educate the public about its significance in United States history. Sadly, despite having Pittsburgh Historical designation, for many years the Tavern was left neglected and was allowed to fall into disrepair
The new owners have a have a rehabilitation plan! They’ve already made structural repairs and are keeping a close watch on the structure to ensure it’s condition does not worsen until major work can begin.
Looking further forward, the vision for a revitalization of the Tavern and surrounding properties is covered in a 37 page book we’ve published. You are invited to review and share with anyone interested, but especially anyone who might like to get involved!
In pursuit of our mission we meet monthly to follow any leads uncovered, and our secretary Norene Beatty gives frequent talks to groups educate about the Tavern, and especially the Whiskey Rebellion. Please enjoy the information on our website, and contact us if you would like to know more about the Tavern, or have ideas about investors.