Village Inn, Main & Water Streets, Englishtown, Monmouth County, NJ

Significance: The Village Inn has been prominent in local tradition as the place where George Washington stayed during the Battle of Monmouth, June 27-30, 1778, and where he wrote the orders for the court-martial of General Charles Lee. Research conducted in conjunction with the Historic Structures Report prepared in 1982, disclosed no documentary evidence to support this legend, nor any to contradict it. The absence of references to the legend to the legend in secondary sources until the early 20th century suggests that it is of 20th century origin.
The inn is significant in itself as an additive structure reflecting various building traditions and styles from the 18th through the early 20th centuries. Of particular note are the Dutch framing techniques which were employed in the pre-1750, two-room core of the building and in the ca. 1750-1760 expansion and the 19th century expansion which gave the building a center-hall plan as part of a more formal, balanced room arrangement. The 19th century expansion also attempted as much formal symmetry on the facade as was possible without making major structural changes in the earlier sections.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-22
Survey number: HABS NJ-65
Building/structure dates: 1732 Initial Construction
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 72000802