This Friday, we’ll celebrate the Fourth of July—the day our nation declared its independence from the British Crown in 1776. Across the country, there will be fireworks, flags, and freedom ringing in the summer air. But here at 1710 Tavern, the occasion carries an especially profound weight. Because this very building—standing tall and proud in the heart of Tappahannock—was already 66 years old when the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Let that sink in: while Thomas Jefferson was drafting those world-changing words, while John Hancock readied his iconic signature, and while thirteen colonies found the courage to break free and become something new, this house was already weathered with history. Its fireplaces had warmed generations. Its floors had creaked under the boots of merchants, farmers, ship captains—and yes, even statesmen. Some of the very names that signed the Declaration walked Virginia’s soil often. A few are believed to have passed through Tappahannock. It is not far-fetched to imagine that some of the hands that signed our freedom into being may have once graced our very floors.

The Declaration of Independence wasn’t just a document—it was a revolution in ink. Signed in the heat of a Philadelphia summer, it announced to the world that the American colonies were no longer subjects of a distant king. It was bold, dangerous, and entirely unprecedented. And it sent ripples through every town, village, and river port—including Tappahannock.

Back then, this town was a lively port along the Rappahannock River, known as Hobbs Hole. Ships sailed in and out with tobacco, the lifeblood of the Virginia colony. But as the idea of liberty began to stir in Boston and Williamsburg, it stirred here too. You can imagine the voices in this very tavern—speaking in low tones about revolution, about the taxes and the tyranny, about the dream of something better.

And when the Declaration was finally adopted on July 4, 1776, the celebrations that followed—bonfires, toasts, and readings of the document aloud—weren’t just reserved for big cities. Even in small towns like ours, people gathered to mark the birth of something entirely new. From that day forward, the Fourth of July became more than a date—it became a promise. Of freedom. Of possibility. Of a future we could choose for ourselves.

This building has seen every one of those anniversaries. 248 Independence Days have come and gone since these walls were raised. It has stood through colonial days, revolution, civil war, and modern change. And now, it welcomes guests in celebration, offering a warm meal and good company in a place where the American story quite literally lives and breathes.

So this Friday, when you celebrate the 249th Fourth of July, know that you’re doing so in a place that predates the very idea of America. A place that may well have welcomed the footsteps of our Founding Fathers. A place where history isn’t just remembered—it’s felt.

From all of us at 1710 Tavern, Happy Independence Day. May we never forget how it all began.