Temperance House

<br>Although some historians believe there may have been a tavern at this location fifty years earlier, Andrew and Nancy McMinn built the first part of the Temperance House, located at 5 South State Street, circa 1772. Part of the building was used as a tavern and another section as a schoolhouse, where Andrew McMinn taught school. McMinn became a well-known figure in Newtown, and later served as a sergeant in Capt. Henry Van Horn's militia company during the Revolutionary War.<br><br> General Francis Murray and Jolly & Mercy Yardley Longshore ran the inn during post-Revolutionary days. Innkeeper William R. Hallowell renamed the hostelry "The Temperance Hotel" in 1848. The inn later became known as "The Niagara Temperance House" under proprietor Joseph Willard, complementing Edward Hicks' sign depicting a moose standing by Niagara Falls. Samuel Willard later named it "The Temperance Hotel Oyster and Ice Cream Bar." The name was reduced by common usage over the years to simply "The Temperance House" and then to "The Temp". The hotel remains a popular dining spot today and now encompasses the buildings from 5-11 South State Street.