Morrow Tavern
Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
A two-story stone house occupied as a tavern by William Morrow stood on this site. George Washington, with staff, lodged here, Oct. 12, 1794, when traveling west to review troops assembled at Bedford to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On October 12, 1794, George Washington lodged at William Morrow's two-story stone tavern here while traveling west—a sitting president personally leading troops to put down the Whiskey Rebellion. Farmers in western Pennsylvania had risen against a federal tax on distilled spirits, and Washington marched a militia toward Bedford to enforce the new nation's authority. The uprising collapsed without major bloodshed.
Why it matters
This was the only time a sitting U.S. president took the field with an army, a defining test of whether the young federal government could enforce its own laws.
Own a business near here? Add it to the map.
Related people
- · George Washington
- · William Morrow
Related events
- · Whiskey Rebellion
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Scotland School for Veterans' Children
Greene Township, PA · est. 2013
Opened in 1895 as the Pennsylvania Soldiers' Orphans Industrial School, this state-run residential institution educated the children of veterans, giving roughly 10,000 boys and girls both schooling and a strong sense of patriotism that led many into military careers. Students earned distinction in the classroom and on the playing field, where the Cadets and Red Devils claimed many championships. The school served its mission until closing in 2009.
Russell Tavern
Butler Township, PA · est. 1947
In October 1794 President George Washington rode west at the head of nearly 13,000 militiamen to put down the Whiskey Rebellion, an armed revolt against the federal excise tax on distilled spirits. On the march he lodged at Russell Tavern, whose original building still stood within sight of this spot. It was the only time a sitting president personally led troops in the field.
Underground Railroad Activity in Chambersburg
Chambersburg, PA · est. 2003
In the years before the Civil War, the mountainous country around Chambersburg sheltered a network of Underground Railroad stations where people fleeing slavery could pause on their journey north. One local agent was Henry Watson, a free Black barber who helped guide fugitives past the slave-catchers and bounty hunters hunting them. His work turned an ordinary trade into a lifeline to freedom.
Confederate Conference
Chambersburg, PA · est. 1953
In the tense days before Gettysburg, the Confederate army swept north into Pennsylvania, and Chambersburg found itself briefly in the path of the invasion. On June 26, 1863, Robert E. Lee rode into the town square—the old "Diamond"—and conferred with corps commander A.P. Hill before setting up headquarters on the edge of town. Within days those same roads would carry his troops east toward the war's decisive battle.