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Lafayette College's Technology Clinic will give a mid-project presentation of their study of the 1753 Jacob Bachmann Tavern in Easton for use as a major educational and tourism facility. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will be at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 6, in Kirby Hall of Civil Rights, Room 104 on the Lafayette campus.
Built in 1753 when Easton was only 2 years old, the Bachmann Tavern is the city's oldest standing structure and most important historic site. Located at the corner of Second and Northampton Streets, the stone building was the first tavern licensed in Northampton County and was used as Easton's first courthouse.
The Easton Heritage Alliance, the city's historic preservation organization, owns and maintains the building. They are currently undertaking a major capital campaign to fund the complete restoration of the facility.
The Lafayette Tech Clinic team is doing a year-long study for the Alliance to develop a range of possibilities for the future use of the tavern and to provide an operating financial analysis.
Lafayette College's Tech Clinics are upper-level courses in which small teams of students of different disciplines apply what they have learned in school to help sponsor businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies solve real-life challenges.
“We want to create an educational facility which is meant to grasp the imagination of both children and adults who will then go on to explore even more about Easton, its heritage in 18th century America, and the early colonists who stood up to England for their freedoms,” said Phil Mitman, campaign director for the Easton Heritage Alliance.
The Tech Clinic group working on the Bachmann Tavern project includes Michael Blair '01, biology major from Lindenwold, NJ; Amanda Friel '00, economics and business major from Cape May, NJ; Shana Hennigan '01, English and economics double major from Moscow, Pa.; Nicole Herbert '00, anthropology and sociology and art double major from Camp Hill, Pa.; Cheryl Mascitelli '01, behavioral neuroscience major from Southbury, Conn.; and Bora Tokyay 01, civil and environmental engineering major from Istanbul. Dan Bauer, associate professor of anthropology and sociology, is the director of the Tech Clinic program and William Best is visiting instructor for the Tech Clinic.
The 1753 Jacob Bachmann Tavern was a center of business and government during its early years, and Benjamin Franklin is reported to have used the building numerous times as a meeting place related to the Indian peace treaties with the colonists. George Washington and General John Sullivan as well as other famous travelers spent time there as well. George Taylor, the 30th signer of the Declaration of Independence, owned the building from 1761 to 1779. During his ownership, meetings were held at the tavern to make plans for the American Revolution.