Taverns and Tavern Life in Early New England - lecture by Tom Kelleher

Join us on Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 7:00 PM for a lecture on "Taverns and Tavern Life in Early New England" by Tom Kelleher.

Taverns were as numerous as churches in early New England, and played at least as large a role in the public life of the community. From typical food and drink to the common topics discussed and kind of songs sung by the fireside, this talk will look at what it was like inside the “public houses” that dotted the highways and center villages of virtually every town in New England. Presented in historic costume with associated illustrative artifacts, and samples of a rum punch prepared as part of the presentation. 

Tom Kelleher is currently Historian, and Curator of Mechanical Arts at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, where he has worn many hats both literally and figuratively for over 40 years. A past president of the international Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums, he regularly teaches and demonstrates at museums, parks, and historical societies around the country. Tom holds a Master's in history from the University of Connecticut, and writes often for a variety of magazines and journals, including Early American Life.