Colonial Complex (General Gates House, Golden Plough Tavern, Barnett Bobb Log House & the Colonial Court House)

Political intrigue, tavern life and 18th century culture – all available in a single visit to this site on the corner of West Market Street and North Pershing Avenue in Downtown York. Four buildings reflect both private and public lives in early York. The Pennsylvania German Golden Plough Tavern, built in 1741, presents the significant role a tavern played in a community as a hotel, restaurant and source for news. The General Gates House (c.1751) reflects the year 1778 when General Horatio Gates occupied the house while the Continental Congress met in York. You can visit a reconstruction of the Colonial Court House where the Second Continental Congress met during York’s nine-month tenure as Capital of the United States, just across the street from the Plough Tavern. The Barnett Bobb Log House, built with squared timbers, in 1812 and relocatd to the site, highlights an average Pennsylvania German home in the early 19th century.

The Colonial Complex is seen by guided tours Tuesday-Saturday. Public Tours are typically offered:

April – May:

Tuesday-Friday: 2:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. Saturday: 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.

June – November:

Tuesday-Thursday: 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.