Green Dragon Tavern Boston: History & Original Location

A Revolutionary Landmark in Colonial Boston

During the eighteenth century, Boston's taverns played an important role in everyday colonial life. They provided places where residents could exchange news, conduct business, discuss local concerns, and debate the growing tensions between Great Britain and its American colonies. Among these establishments, few became as closely connected with the struggle for independence as the Green Dragon Tavern.

Located on Union Street in Boston's North End, the Green Dragon was already an established gathering place before the American Revolution. Its importance grew during the 1760s and 1770s, as opposition to British taxation and imperial authority spread throughout Massachusetts.

The tavern attracted merchants, tradesmen, political activists, and other residents who questioned the British government's treatment of the colonies. Among those associated with the establishment were Paul Revere, Dr. Joseph Warren, and individuals involved in the Sons of Liberty, a movement that opposed British policies and encouraged colonial resistance.

In 1764, the Lodge of St. Andrew, a Masonic organization, acquired the building. The lodge used rooms above the tavern for meetings, while the establishment continued serving the public below. This arrangement helped make the Green Dragon an important meeting place for individuals whose personal, professional, and political relationships influenced Boston's revolutionary movement.

As relations with Britain deteriorated, the Green Dragon became associated with private political discussions, the exchange of intelligence, and the coordination of resistance activities. Its reputation grew alongside the expanding network of colonial patriots who sought to challenge British authority.

The tavern is also historically linked to the resistance movement surrounding the Boston Tea Party of December 16, 1773. While the major public gatherings preceding that protest occurred elsewhere in Boston, the Green Dragon belonged to the broader network of meeting places where opposition to British taxation was discussed and organized.

Another important chapter in the tavern's history involved Paul Revere and the efforts to monitor British military activity. During the months preceding the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, patriot intelligence networks gathered information about British troop movements. Revere and other members of these networks helped relay warnings and maintain communication among colonial leaders.

The Green Dragon's association with these revolutionary activities eventually earned it a reputation as one of the political centers of Boston's independence movement. In the nineteenth century, Daniel Webster famously characterized the establishment as the "Headquarters of the Revolution," a description that reflected its lasting place in American historical memory.

Although the original tavern disappeared long ago, its importance extends beyond the building itself. The Green Dragon illustrates how Boston's public houses helped connect people, ideas, and political movements during a period of extraordinary change.

The story of the Green Dragon Tavern reminds us that the American Revolution developed not only through famous speeches, formal declarations, and military confrontations, but also through conversations, personal relationships, and organized resistance within the everyday gathering places of colonial Boston.

Its legacy remains part of the city's revolutionary heritage and the larger story of America's journey toward independence.

Some research says the original Green Dragon Tavern was located on Green Dragon Lane, near Hanover Street, in colonial Boston.

1. 1768 location:  Green Dragon Lane, a narrow passage that existed before the modern street configuration.

2. 1828 street changes: Green Dragon Lane was subsequently widened and became part of Union Street.

3. Historical address: Later references identify approximately 80–86 Union Street, particularly No. 84. These were later addresses, not a numbered 1768 address.

4. Modern geographic reference: Historian Charles Bahne placed the approximate site near the Congress Street entrance to Haymarket's Orange Line station, just north of Hanover Street.

5. Important distinction: The present Green Dragon Tavern at 11 Marshall Street is not the original Revolutionary-era building.

    

   

   Map Image from Google Earth

   18th Century location was around GPS location: 42°21'43.1"N 71°03'28.2"W