Following the service at Christ Church, I had brunch at Gadsby's Tavern down the street. Opened in 1796, following American Independence, it was an establishment that provided food, lodgings, and entertainment. Organizations like the freemasons could meet in a large room upstairs or rent spaces for social functions or private dining.
Thomas Jefferson stayed there several times and it was here that George Washington celebrated his birthday after becoming president of the United States. After a decline during the 19th century as fancier hotels developed, the MET museum purchased paneling from its ballroom for exhibition in New York City. The building was subsequently gifted to the City of Alexandria who restored it with replicated paneling and they continue to operate Gadsby's Tavern today as a museum upstairs with dining downstairs.
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