Marines often boast that their beloved Corps was “born in a bar,” specifically, that it was born at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, back when the very first would-be Marines decided to enlist on Nov. 10, 1775.
The original building that has long been celebrated as the birthplace of the United States Marine Corps was demolished in 1781, but soon a new Tun Tavern will open in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, just in time for the Corps’ 250th anniversary.
Marine veteran Monty Dahm recently finalized the purchase of a restaurant in the Old City Philadelphia neighborhood that he plans to convert into a replica of Tun Tavern.
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“We’re recreating history,” Dahm told Task & Purpose on Monday. “It’s about patriotism. It’s about the Marines that we lost.”
The restaurant, which is undergoing preliminary renovations, will have a “soft opening” on Friday and then its “Tun Tavern” sign will be unveiled on Nov. 10, Dahm said.
“Most importantly, we’re just trying to get it open for the Marine Corps birthday,” Dahm said. “It’s themed Marine inside for now.”
The new Tun Tavern will be a block away from the original site. A ceremony to mark the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary will be held at the restaurant on Nov. 10 that will feature speakers and a fife and drum corps, Dahm said.
The unveiling of the Tun Tavern sign will mark the start of an extensive reconstruction effort that is meant to make the restaurant look closer to “our beloved birthplace, as Marines,” Dahm said.
“We’re going to rebuild a facade; we’re going to hopefully put two stories on it, which would be a living museum and a banquet facility — and they are going to be intertwined,” he said.
Ultimately, the revitalized Tun Tavern will be both a museum and restaurant, which will serve food reminiscent of the 18th Century, Dahm said.
Dahm also provided Task & Purpose with renderings of what the building’s interior is expected to look like following the renovations, which show the rechristened Tun Tavern would invoke colonial-style architecture.
“We’re doing it for the Marines, but we’re also doing it for all the men and women in the service,” Dahm said.
A tale of two Tun Taverns
When all is said and done, Philadelphia may end up with two homages to the cradle of the Marine Corps. The nonprofit The Tun Legacy Foundation plans to build its own replica of Tun Tavern, which would be located near Dahm’s Tun Tavern.
The foundation announced in April 2024 that it purchased land to build “The Tun,” which would operate as a tavern that offers food and other refreshments influenced by Philadelphia’s colonial period, features historical documents and educational exhibits, and hosts special events.
Dahm, who owns the trademark to “Tun Tavern,” has filed a lawsuit against the foundation, many of whose board members are Marine veterans.
So far, the foundation has raised more than $9 million for The Tun and secured zoning approval and a construction permit, said Pat Dailey, president and founder of The Tun Legacy Foundation.
Construction efforts are expected to take between 14 and 16 months, and once The Tun is open, all proceeds will be donated to veterans and educational charities, said Dailey, a Marine veteran.
Regardless of how the pending legal fight pans out, one thing seems certain: Very soon, there will once again be a Tun Tavern in Philadelphia for Marines. And if they’re lucky, they’ll end up with two.
