Hungerford Tavern was most likely operated by the tavern owner's African American slaves. It served as a meeting place where tobacco planters and lawyers socialized and conducted business, making it a center of social activity. Slaves traveling with their masters were expected to care for them if they became too rowdy or drunk, and when travelers stayed overnight, those slaves could exchange news of family members and relatives with the tavern owner's slaves. While the tavern also served as the courthouse, a small jail attached to the building held slaves caught trying to escape while they awaited punishment and return to bondage.