A tavern in this vicinity was established in 1773 as Florance's Ordinary and operated by Joseph Florance on land originally granted to John Florance in 1725. By 1786 it was known as Gaines' Tavern and operated by William Gaines, and Joseph Brown received a license to operate it in 1800. Thomas Jefferson made many visits here, including a notable stop on November 26, 1800, while en route to Washington, D.C., before being elected President. References to the tavern appear in his personal papers between 1792 and 1808, where he called it "A poor house but obliging people." Taverns like this furnished travelers with food, drink, and lodging and also served the community as gathering places for news, including mail delivery and dispatch, before post offices were widely established.