Indian Queen Tavern

Taverns served as important gathering places in the 18th and 19th centuries.  Weary travelers and busy townspeople frequented inns such as the Indian Queen for respite, entertainment, education, and business.  Dancing, music, impromptu lectures, meetings, and exciting conversations could be found in taverns across colonial America, and the Indian Queen was no exception.  It was used for multiple meetings, including that of the New Brunswick Bridge Company, which met in 1795 to discuss the construction of a bridge across the Raritan River. In 1820, the New Jersey Medical Society held its annual meeting at the tavern. Political debates were often hosted in taverns, as many early towns did not have a city hall. 

The original owner of the Indian Queen Tavern is unknown, but clues point to Dr. William Farquhar.  No official title of ownership can be found until 1784.  The house was first constructed as a one-story around 1740.  James Hude, the second mayor of New Brunswick, lived in the home from 1742 to 1778.   James Drake was the first recorded owner.  He likely added the second floor and converted the abode into an inn around the time of the Revolution. Drake also owned a lucrative ferry service which took passengers and goods across the Raritan River from New Brunswick to Highland Park.  

New Brunswick was a crossroads town between Philadelphia and New York City, and the Indian Queen served as a major stopping point along the 60+ hour journey.  Several significant figures stopped to stay in the Indian Queen, including President John Adams and First Lady Abigail on November 14th, 1797.  The couple stopped to rest while on their way home to Philadelphia from a trip to New York.  President Adams was set to give his first State of the Union Address in 8 days. New Brunswick residents warmly received the couple, who happily participated in celebrations orchestrated by the town.  

The fifth Governor of New Jersey, Aaron Ogden, dined in the Indian Queen on November 2, 1812.  He was escorted into New Brunswick by a company of dragoons, and a large group of citizens on horseback.  Upon Ogden’s arrival at the tavern, he was formally welcomed by Major Schureman in a brief but fitting address, to which Ogden appropriately responded.  After supper, Ogden was accompanied by the dragoons and local citizens as far as Princeton. 

James Drake died in 1808 and left the tavern to his wife Jane, and son Henry.  Jane and Henry changed the name of the tavern to the Washington House, and they operated the tavern until 1818. Henry Drake lost the tavern in a Sheriff’s sale to a trio of business partners: John Bray, Charles Smith, and James VanDyke. Smith and VanDyke bought out Bray’s share in 1835, and in 1850, a descendant of VanDyke became the sole owner of the tavern and ferry house.  The inn subsequently passed through 6 different families until it was acquired by the city of New Brunswick in 1970.  The city saved the inn from demolition to make way for an expansion of Route 18.  It was rebuilt in 1976 as part of the East Jersey Old Town Village. The tavern features one of the few surviving examples of a Federal Style spiral staircase. 

Somerset County Historical Quarterly (Vol. 3). (1914). Somerville, NJ.