{"nrhp_refnum":"79002164","name":"Bonnet's Tavern","other_names":["Old Forks Inn"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"4 mi. W of Bedford at jct. of U.S. 30 and PA 31, Napier Twonship","address_restricted":false,"city":"Bedford","county":"Bedford County","state":"PA","lat":40.042355271000076,"lon":-78.56050945699997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-08-01","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Exploration/Settlement"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A stone tavern and inn at the forks of the Forbes and Burd military roads, about four miles west of Bedford in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. The building is recorded as dating from about 1762 (the description gives c. 1769) and was built by John Bonnet.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant for its role on the Forbes and Burd roads, where it served as an important stopping point for travelers between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It also places the inn within the frontier history of Bedford County, which was then the western frontier of Pennsylvania. The document describes it as a landmark frontier structure of colonial character.","narrative":"Built of cut fieldstone laid in random ashlar, Bonnet's Tavern stands four miles west of Bedford at the forks of the Forbes and Burd military roads. The building measures 40 by 51 feet, with walls more than two feet thick, and the sloping site makes it three and a half stories on its lower face. Its end chimneys are brick, while the interior stacks are stone and serve eight large fireplaces, some with open hearths. Two tiers of verandas run along the south and north faces, reached only from inside the inn. Hewn beams are exposed in the basement tavern and first floor. The inn is locally important for its position on routes linking Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the site had earlier Indian village and military encampment associations. Bedford County became a political unit in 1771, and the tavern's history reflects settlement, transport and commerce on the frontier. It continues to operate as a tavern and residence.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"John Bonnet (builder)","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"The Inn still serves as a tavern and private residence.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:29.484525-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/79002164.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002164/a79d54af7f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002164/a79d54af7f-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nicholas Traub","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jean_Bonnet_Tavern.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nicholas Traub</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jean_Bonnet_Tavern.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994600","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Bonnet_Tavern","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6170296"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/bedford-county/bonnets-tavern-79002164/"}