This Historic Pennsylvania House-Turned-Tavern Stood At The Forefront Of The Civil War

When you walk through the streets of historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, you'll see living proof that tragedy + time = tourist attraction. Many old buildings have been preserved or restored, so the millions of visitors the town receives each year can get a sense of how the town looked during the Civil War. One building that not only bore witness to the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, but also played a significant role in the historic event, is the Dobbin House Tavern.

Dobbin House was built in 1776 to serve as both a private home and school, but by the 19^th century, it was serving as a station along the Underground Railroad. In the aftermath of the battle that marked a major turning point in the Civil War, the house was used as a field hospital where both Union and Confederate troops were treated for their wounds. Some particularly gruesome accounts speak of amputated limbs being thrown out of windows onto the lawn, and the grass is said to have been bloodstained for years. Perhaps not surprisingly, Dobbin House features prominently in Gettysburg ghost tours as it's rumored to be visited by the spirits of soldiers, children, and a nurse.

Today's Dobbin House is a popular tourist attraction. It consists of two possibly haunted restaurants along with a banquet hall, bed and breakfast, and a gift shop. Interestingly, instead of embracing a Civil War theme like the rest of the town, it celebrates its colonial heritage, so staff are costumed accordingly.

The Dobbin House Tavern offers two dining experiences: the formal Alexander Dobbin Dining Rooms (named for the home's first owner) and the casual Springhouse Tavern. For the former, you may need to make a reservation a week or more in advance, but at the latter, no reservations are required (or, indeed, accepted). Both feature colonial decor, and the dining rooms include six separate areas: a traditional dining room, a library, a parlor, a study, a spinning room, and a bedroom where, yes, you can actually eat your dinner in bed. Neither eatery, however, offers much in the way of authentic historic cuisine.

The dining room menu leans heavily on seafood and steaks, with a few additional entrees like roast pork and duck cooked with apples and cider. There's also one vegetarian entree consisting of a vegetable medley in wine sauce served over pasta. The tavern offers lighter options, with a wide selection of salads and sandwiches, as well as burgers, ribs, and jerk chicken. The most period-appropriate item featured on both menus seems to be Philadelphia fish house punch, a concoction of rum, brandy, and fruit juice that dates back to the 1730s. There's also a colonial-style dessert — not George Washington's favorite great cake (which may be too fruitcakey for modern tastes), but a slice of warm gingerbread covered with lemon sauce. 

TripAdvisor reviewers give the meal 4.5 stars, with most praising both the food and the atmosphere. But even without the opportunity to dine on traditional 18th-century fare, a trip to Dobbin House Tavern is one you likely won't regret.