By Christine Lorraine Morgan, April 10, 2026

Erie’s Dickson Tavern at 201 French St., accomplished some pretty amazing things during John Dickson’s time as owner from 1815 to 1831, including service to Lafayette during his visit to Erie in 1825.

In its day, Dickson’s tavern was a favorite place where everybody knew your name. It was known for its convenient location as well its spaciousness and overall design. Plus, Dickson was said to be a superb cook which helped in 1818 when the tavern’s advertised menu offered “hot coffee, hot and cold meats, pickled oysters, tripe, tongue and pastry, ice cream, wedding cake and punch. Alcoholic beverages were certainly available as well,” as stated at eriebuildings .info.

It was also the place where Erie’s War of 1812 hero Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was known to raise a glass or two after emerging victorious in the tide-turning Battle of Lake Erie. After the war concluded in 1815, this tavern, also known as the “Perry House,” was indeed Erie’s party place.

This view inside of the Dickson Tavern’s ground floor window was captured in 2003 while it was still a museum. It shows a mannequin of Erie’s hero of the War of 1812 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. Uncertain who the other individual is supposed to be, possibly ship builder Daniel Dobbins, who built Perry’s fleet.

There was also a billiard table inside the tavern, a comfortable gathering spot where guests “thrived on the comradery amongst male patrons,” according to eriebuildings. “By the 1820s, Dickson sought to appeal to the merchant and business community. He changed the name of his tavern to the Exchange Coffee House to attract these patrons.”

The Exchange Coffee House’s most notable customer was American Revolutionary War hero, Marquis De Laqfayette and the lavish party centering around him during his 1825 visit to Erie.

Dickson even went so far business-wise to develop part of his tavern into a bustling steam boat office that offered carriage and boat transportation to travelers.

This is the quaint early-American design of the Dickson Tavern in 2003.

Even though he had found resounding success in Erie, in 1831, Dickson sold his tavern and relocated to Pittsburgh. He sold the property to Daniel Gillespie, his brother-in-law.

Read more atEri http://www.eriebuildings.info/buildings.php?buildingID=14010006021500

Above image shows the views inside the ground floor window of the Dickson Tavern in 2003.