10 Most 2025: Andrew Mershon Tavern, Titusville (Mercer County)

Known historically as Mershon’s Tavern, this site holds deep roots in colonial and Revolutionary War-era New Jersey. Numerous documents, including tavern license applications filed by Andrew Mershon from 1746 through 1793, confirm its longstanding role as a licensed tavern. The property was originally built by Cornelius Anderson, father of Mershon’s wife, Fransinah. Andrew and Fransinah began living there in the 1730s, initially renting from Anderson’s estate. 

The tavern is noted on a Revolutionary War spy map, housed in the Library of Congress, marked simply as “Mershons,” indicating its function as an inn. The Mershon Family Association and their 1949 publication Our Pioneers East and West of the Mississippi also affirm its operation and historic relevance. 

The house is in serious disrepair. Siding is missing from the west side, while the east side shows extensive rot in both siding and trim due to prolonged lack of paint and maintenance. One exterior door is unsecured and shows signs of unauthorized entry, with evidence suggesting people have been sleeping inside. A collapsed chimney has likely caused interior damage, though the extent is unknown. Portions of the stone foundation are loose, and parts of the backside of exposed fireplaces have deteriorated. 

Mershon’s Tavern is a rare and irreplaceable link to early American history, with direct connections to the Revolutionary War, 18th-century travel, and New Jersey’s colonial heritage. As one of the oldest surviving tavern sites in the region—operational as early as 1746—it served not only as a rest stop for travelers and drovers headed to the Trenton Market but also likely played a role in the movement of people and information during the Revolution, as suggested by its inclusion on a Revolutionary War map. 

Preserving this building honors the lives of those who shaped local and national history, including Andrew Mershon, his family, and the generations of residents and innkeepers who followed. Architecturally, it offers a valuable example of early American construction and vernacular design, including original stonework and fireplace structures that are increasingly rare. With the surrounding land already protected and public access routes in place, the tavern has the potential to become a cornerstone of historical interpretation in the region—if action is taken now.