Wednesday
May 1, 2024 
Piper Tavern. In 1759, a tavern was built by Joseph Bladen at the junction of the Durham and Philadelphia-Easton roads. In 1778, that tavern was purchased by George Piper, a colonel in the Continental Army. Piper was born in Philadelphia and stood among the Philadelphia crowd that heard the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
His tavern boasted a list of famous guests including Benjamin Franklin, several other signers of the Declaration of Independence and a king of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte.
“Colonel Piper’s Tavern” was a large colonial structure, with 15” thick walls. After additions in 1784, 1790 and 1801, the tavern included a parlor and dining room, a large kitchen and guest rooms for travelers. Upon Piper’s death in 1823, his son-in-law, Jacob Keichline, took over and ran the business from 1823 until 1858.
During that time, a post office was located in the tavern; and the town officially became Pipersville in honor of the previous innkeeper.
The original structure was destroyed by fire in 1884, to be redesigned and rebuilt in the Victorian style.
By 1922, it was called the Upper Bucks County Hotel and was purchased by the Brugger family. For the next 60+ years it was known as Brugger’s Pipersville Inn. The tavern was said to have been frequented by such local luminaries as James A. Michener, Pearl S. Buck, Dorothy Parker, S.J. Perelman, Moss Hart, George S. Kaufman and Walter Slezak. Doylestown restauranteur Walter Conti bought the property in 1986, naming it Conti’s Pipersville Inn.
Next it was owned by Paul Renny and Paul Berry of Boston from 1988 to 1998. Today the old structure is known as the Historic Piper Tavern and since 1998 has continued in operation under the ownership of Gregg Thomas.
Source: www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/2013/01/09/historic-piper-tavern-looks-to/17241351007/
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