McCrady's Tavern and Long Room

About

McCrady's Tavern and Long Room is a historic tavern complex located in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Constructed in several phases in the second half of the 18th century, the tavern was a hub of social life in Charleston in the years following the American Revolution. The tavern's Long Room, completed in 1788, was used for theatrical performances and banquets for the city's elite and is the last of its kind in Charleston. McCrady's was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 for its architectural and political significance.

Edward McCrady (d. 1794), a Charleston barber/vintner/tavern owner and Revolutionary War veteran, purchased the tavern in 1778 and expanded the tavern, and constructed the Long Room over the next decade. In 1791, the Society of the Cincinnati hosted a banquet in the Long Room for President George Washington, who was visiting the city. The building operated as a tavern and banquet hall throughout much of the first half of the 19th century and later served as a warehouse and print shop. The building was restored to its late-18th-century appearance in the 1980s and housed McCrady's Restaurant until its closure in 2020.