Shields Tavern
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Welcome Back to Shields Tavern
The term “Groaning Board,” possibly originating in the Middle Ages, described a table so laden with food that it seemed to groan under the weight, or perhaps the guests groaned with delight. In the 18th century, taverns were central hubs for news, information, and travel rest stops, where guests paid a fee set by the Governor for a meal and a place to sleep, typically a crowded spot on the floor. Taverns were gathering places for locals and for diverse people, objects, and ideas. Jean Marot, a Frenchman, operated a tavern on this site from 1709 until his death in 1717, after which his widow Anne took over. Their daughter Anne and her husband James Shields managed it from the early 1740s, living there with their children and several enslaved workers. By 1750, Shields Tavern was one of seven licensed taverns in Williamsburg, offering food, drink, lodgings, and entertainment like gambling and billiards. It catered to the lesser gentry and upper middling ranks of Williamsburg society and travelers to the capital.
