Sullivan's March - Learned's Tavern Marker
PA - Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA
Route 611 & Old Mill Rd, Tannersville, PA 18372, USA
MARKER
VISITOR INFORMATION
Free exterior historical marker, viewable from authorized public areas without a ticket. The associated building or grounds may be private or have separate visitor hours.
A roadside historical marker, free to read at any time. There is no parking area or restroom at the marker itself, so pull over only where it is safe to do so.
SITE FEATURES
HISTORIC SITES NEARBY
Nearby Historic Sites
miles
Landmark

WHO WAS HERE
1
About Sullivan's March - Learned's Tavern Marker
Sullivan’s army passed Learned’s Tavern in 1779 during its expedition against British-allied Haudenosaunee communities. Taverns and roads supported the Continental supply train. The campaign destroyed towns, crops, and orchards and displaced Native residents.
A commemorative marker is recorded for Sullivan's March - Learned's Tavern. The record does not establish what historic fabric survives or who maintains the site.
History happened here at Sullivan's March - Learned's Tavern Marker
Sullivan's March - Learned's Tavern Marker is associated with June 19, 1779 and the history of Sullivan Expedition. Sullivan’s army passed Learned’s Tavern in 1779 during its expedition against British-allied Haudenosaunee communities. Taverns and roads supported the Continental supply train. The campaign destroyed towns, crops, and orchards and displaced Native residents. Learned's Tavern marked the end of the second day's march from Easton to Fort Wyoming, at Wilkes-Barre. The army camped here June 19, 1779, after a 16-mile march from Heller's Tavern.
What stands here today is commemorative evidence: a marker directing attention to a historic place or event. Its installation belongs to a later period of public remembrance, while its subject belongs to the earlier history described above. This distinction matters when evaluating authenticity and preservation. The marker may not occupy the exact footprint of every action it recalls, but it anchors the story to the closest practical viewing point and encourages the surrounding landscape to be read critically.
Taverns were essential nodes in the period's travel and communication network. They offered meals, drink, lodging, fresh horses, directions, and a place to exchange news. Officers, soldiers, couriers, officials, local residents, and strangers might meet under the same roof, giving taverns political as well as commercial importance. A tavern's association with an event can therefore illuminate both the visible movement of people and the less visible flow of rumor, intelligence, and public opinion.
This episode is best understood as part of the history of Sullivan Expedition. That theme extended far beyond a single encounter or individual, linking local choices to regional networks and larger outcomes. The physical setting helps explain the possibilities and limits facing the people involved. Distance, terrain, transportation, resources, and public support all mattered. By locating the story here, the marker preserves evidence of how broad historical developments were experienced and shaped at ground level.
The date attached to the entry is a useful chronological anchor, but the site's history extends before and after that moment. Earlier settlement and land use shaped why the location mattered, while later rebuilding, commemoration, or development affected what can be seen today. Placing the episode on that longer timeline prevents a single date from flattening the site's history and encourages attention to continuity as well as change.
Taken together, the documentary account, the marker, and the surviving setting give this place its significance. The site is most informative when approached as part of a connected landscape rather than as an isolated point. Changes in roads, buildings, vegetation, and land use may obscure the original scene, but location still helps explain relationships among people and events. Preserving the marker and improving its interpretation keeps a locally grounded piece of history available for comparison with maps, records, archaeology, and other nearby sites.
PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE
PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE
PEOPLE AT REST HERE
EXTERNAL LINKS
Historical Marker Database: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=86935
Historical Marker Database: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=86936
HMDB identifies the 1947 Sullivan's March roadside marker and the adjacent 1929 expedition plaque. Both commemorate the army's overnight stop at Learned's Tavern on 19 June 1779 after a sixteen-mile march. The tavern site, historic building, military event, and two surviving commemorations require separate dating.
Accessed 2026-09-30

