Catfish Inn is the original bed-and-breakfast community meeting hall. This replica circa 1790’s Scottish Tavern/Inn exemplifies where life becomes community as a gathering place for business, social activity, refreshment and accommodation. For example, the City Tavern in Philadelphia was the site of the First Continental Congress and the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. The Virginia legislature met in the taverns of Williamsburg. Inns were the hub of government, the post office, learning the prices of commodities, entertainment, transition in measurement from weight scales to spoons and cups, and of course, the beginning of fast food, saloons, and hotels. Oftentimes the inn would be located near a Commons Area, whereby travelers, troops, militia, Natives, pioneers, trappers and traders would camp or visit to buy, sell, trade and get the latest news. During these times it could be compared to a modern-day shopping mall. Catfish Inn is the third venue that students encounter on school field trips.
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