The Legend of the Black Powder Tavern

Another Piece of Valley Forge History

Greetings, Travelers! Blissfully, I've had an uptick in travel dates the past few months, and with that uptick, I've eaten at some spooky and delicious restaurants in not only the mid-Atlantic but in New England as well! As things pick up with me, I can't think of a better way to kick off July than by reflecting on an 18th-century building deep in the heart of one of America's original key military encampments, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania!

A friend of mine was in the area, and I immediately looked up local restaurants that have a history of ghostly activity. I found one on the Valley Forge tourism site, valleyforge.org.

The Helpful Plaque Out Front

The History

The Black Powder Tavern is named in homage to the building's origins, dating back to 1746, as indicated by a plaque outside the restaurant. According to the plaque, former owner Friedrich Wilhelm von Stueben stored black powder in the basement during the Revolutionary War.

As such, a who's who of Revolutionary War heroes often visited the building, including the Marquis de Lafayette and, of course, General George Washington.

Hauntings reported in the building include disembodied footsteps, according to the Valley Forge tourism site, as well as glimpses of apparitions and cold spots, as noted in this article on the Times Herald website.

That was good enough for me, though I should note at this point that I left my dowsing rods at home, unfortunately. I have to remind myself to get a pair for the car. But the evening wasn't lost as I hadn't eaten all day, so I stepped into the tavern and up to the host podium to be seated.

The Charming Dining Room

The Atmosphere

The interior of the restaurant reflects the history and theme of the building. There's a soft light inside for a more intimate dinner. Things were quiet and casual when I walked in, and although there weren't many people inside (read: inside yet), I was asked if I had a reservation, of which I had none. Traveler, I recommend phoning ahead to book a table for yourself and your party, as the restaurant filled up quite quickly between when I arrived and after my meal.

Luckily for me, there was ample seating outside on a cloudy yet cool day, and the patio was charming. Even outside, it was quiet, and for that I was grateful.

My guest arrived and we ordered.

These Are Somehow Better Than They Look

The Food

I asked our server while we were placing our order, for one house special chicken pot pie and one house special crab cake with coleslaw, if the Black Powder Tavern was haunted.

"I've never seen anything," they started. "But ghost hunters come by and investigate now and then. The basement is pretty creepy."

I take pride in simply asking the staff about the hauntings, Traveler. It's where some of my most fun stories come from, after all. The service was prompt, almost lightning-fast, and the food would have been worth the wait regardless. A bite of the pot pie tasted incredible, and while I don't eat them often, the Black Powder Tavern sold me the best crab cakes I've ever eaten in my entire life.

I did something else I don't do often, Traveler. I licked my plate clean because the aioli coleslaw is so delicious.

But, Is It Haunted?

Traveler, I didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary, but I'd love to go back with my dowsing rods sometime. While I'll admit that this is a cheap ploy to get more of those crab cakes, I do want to do a little test when I'm afforded the opportunity.

I'll give you two things to go on, however, should you decide to beat me back to the Black Powder Tavern. The first is that the tavern used to have paranormal investigations on the premises that they sponsored. If we're lucky, we'll have the chance to have an actual dinner with a ghost!

Furthermore, some personal friends of mine, the Phantom Detectives, were able to catch a REM pod lighting up on video and posted the reel on their Instagram page! Those accounts are good enough to encourage me to try dowsing rods at the tavern soon.

Although I may simply want more crab cakes. 

Until again,

Safe Travels

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THE EXIT 13

This Spooky Traveler’s column focuses on haunted locations around the New England area. Victor S. Johnson is an adventurer, tour guide, and published author. His dedicated hobby is traveling through the United States (and soon after, the world), checking out old, reported hauntings and sharing his findings with his audience over on his YouTube channel, Destination Spooky.