The Court Inn (Half-Moon Inn)

Half-Moon Inn

The Court Inn (known as the Half-moon Inn during the mid-18th century) is one of the oldest and most historic buildings in Newtown. It was the original home of Margaret and Joseph Thornton, built in 1733 as a tavern, and was a popular gathering place when Newtown was the County Seat. The Court Inn, originally called the Half-moon Inn, was built in 1733 by Joseph Thornton on part of five acres of ground purchased by four trustees, appointed by the General Assembly “to build a new Court House and Prison in the County of Bucks.”

The trustees purchased the ground from John Walley on July 17, 1725 for twelve pounds, five shillings. Joseph Thornton conducted a tavern here until his death in 1754, when his wife, Margaret Thornton, then took over the business until 1790. Innkeepers Margaret and Joseph Thornton operated the Half-moon Inn on this site offering meals and lodging to the people coming to the county courthouse.

The tavern was located in the two north rooms of the building. In the 1890s, the local telephone company purchased the building and subdivided it into two separate units. The north side contained two rooms which were used over the years for a variety of uses, including a radio repair shop. The south side contained a private residence.

The Newtown Historic Association was the recipient of the north portion of the property in 1964 as a gift from Robert L. LaRue and his wife, Ruth. The LaRues also gave $25,000 to restore the structure. The NHA then purchased the south residence in 1974 and fully restored it in 1982. After the restoration, the two doors connecting the two properties were re-opened to make it back into one building. The Half-moon Inn (Court Inn) has served as the headquarters of the Newtown Historic Association ever since and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

At the present time, the south portion of the Half-moon Inn (Court Inn) serves as a reception area and includes several rooms that have been restored to their original décor. The north side contains the tavern room and the room behind it where the original Thornton family lived. The second floor houses the Edward Hicks room along with a restored tavern bedroom.

The recently renovated Dave and Mary Callahan Research Center is a repository of records focusing on Newtown history from its founding to the present time. The collection includes deeds, wills, diaries, genealogies, photographs, directories, inventories and maps dealing with Newtown people, land, houses, farms, schools, service agencies, events and other topics of interest. The collections from 1725 through 1813 are quite extensive. The center was opened in 1982 and moved to its present location in 2019. Its address is 100 Mercer Street, Newtown PA. The Research Center is dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. Callahan as a tribute for their many contributions, time, and effort toward preserving the legacy of Newtown's history. Our current family president, Susan Thompson is on the Board of Directors for the Court Inn and an active participant to all activities at the Inn.

Source: Newtown Historic Association website