Walter Crow

Walter Crow owned this tavern. He is the father of our patriot ancestor, Benjamin Crow.

From 1760-1764, Benjamin’s father, Walter, was the proprietor of an “inn,” “tavern,” or “public house,” located on the Upper King Road which connected Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Wilmington and New Castle, Delaware. Whenever a direct and much traveled road was developed within the Colonies, a network of inns, ordinaries and taverns sprang up placed strategically to anticipate travelers’ needs. The trip from Philadelphia to New Castle, made either on foot, by horseback or coach, could be dusty and tiresome. The road was a simple dirt track running through the forest, and the trip took from three to eight days depending on the weather and road conditions. Walter Crow’s establishment, a forerunner of our modern motel, provided weary travelers with a meal and accommodations for the night.

Walter Crow’s inn was located thirteen miles south of New Castle, between Christiana Bridge and Blackburn Bridge. His place was known by “Crow’s Tavern,” or “Sign of the Tun” (the Cask). After he left, it became “Ham’s Inn,” then “Carson’s,” and later “The Buck Tavern.” This region achieved more than local fame as the combined British and Hessian armies launched their Philadelphia campaign from this area in late August of 1777.

George Washington slept here during the Revolution, after Walter sold it.