[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 70 (Friday, May 9, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMEMORATING THE SESQUICENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONTINENTAL 
                                 TAVERN

                                  _____
                                 

                      HON. MICHAEL G. FITZPATRICK

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 9, 2014

  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, today we commemorate the 
Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the Continental Tavern, Yardley 
Borough, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Restoring the tavern to its 
historic state has been a passion shared by the Lyons family. Frank 
Lyons' enthusiasm for America history has lead him, for more than a 
decade, to spend his Christmas mornings volunteering in the annual 
reenactment of General George Washington's Christmas Day Crossing of 
1776. Families and history buffs gather at the spot Durham boats left 
quietly taking soldiers across the Delaware River and on to fight 
heroically in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. Frank Lyons has 
said, ``Reenacting is a progressive disease, the more you do it, the 
more you want to do it, the more you want to learn, the more things you 
want to do,''
  Frank was compelled to do more things which included restoring an old 
tavern on Main Street, Yardley Borough, known by locals as ``The 
Continental.'' Joined by his wife Patty and daughter Kelly Lyons Vliet, 
they lovingly restored the 19th century tavern and created a gathering 
place for our community.
  Once just an outbuilding on the estate of Thomas Yardley, over the 
centuries, the Continental Tavern has been a restaurant, tavern, home, 
hotel, library, speakeasy and perhaps even a destination point for 
runaway slaves traveling on the Underground Railroad. Speculation about 
unsolved mysteries, ghosts and infamous hotel guest John Wilkes Booth 
continue to fuel local legend and add to the character of The 
Continental.
  Renovations have unearthed 5,000 empty whiskey bottles from the 
Prohibition era, children's toys, coins, old light bulbs, scraps of 
newspaper from the early 20th Century and even a bloody corset riddled 
with bullet holes. Many of these items are currently displayed 
throughout The Continental and will be part of the tavern's third floor 
museum.
  Today, I would like to thank the Lyons family for their hard work, 
commitment to history and our community and congratulate them on the 
150th Anniversary of the historic Continental Tavern.

                          ____________________