Tavern Revolution 250: The Hessians

Considered the oldest bar in New Jersey, the Barnsboro Inn looks much different in modern years than when it was first built as a log cabin by a man named John Budd that was a pub and Inn. Located at a main intersection in Sewell, the inn was officially licensed as a tavern in 1776  and it’s been continually licensed ever since. 

On this episode of Studio 2, we’re listening back to our event at Barnsboro Inn. Cherri Gregg and Executive Producer Kevin McCorry get the full story of Hessian soldiers who fought in the revolution and learn about the area and its role in colonial life. We’ll also talk about The Redbank Battlefield on the Delaware where Hessian soldiers were buried after the Red Bank Battle in October 1777, and the 15 bodies were recently found in a mass grave.

Guests: 

• Jennifer Janofsky, a history professor at Rowan University and also the director of the Red Bank Battlefield Park
• Wade Catts, principal investigator at the Red Bank Battlefield Park where a mass burial site of Hessian soldiers was discovered in 2022