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Before the railroads, the road through Rahway was one of the most traveled routes on the Eastern Seaboard — and the Merchants and Drovers Tavern was where everyone stopped. Built around 1800, the tavern served the constant flow of livestock drovers, merchants, and travelers moving between Philadelphia and New York. The building is one of the best-preserved examples of a working-class early American tavern in New Jersey, and the collections inside reflect the commercial life of the pre-industrial road. It’s a fascinating look at the infrastructure of early American commerce that doesn’t get nearly enough attention.
