My Connection to the Dark Moon Tavern, Log Gaol and Johnsonsburg, New Jersey USA

The Dark Moon Tavern, was owned by Jonathan Pettit my 7th Great Grand Father a vertically integrated entrepreneur who was a Judge, a Tavern Keeper, a stage stop-over administrator, and “motel” owner) the 3 latter all connected to the Dark Moon Tavern.

Jonathan Pettit was born near the Falls of Delaware in 1721. For a time he had a farm on both sides of the river near Easton, Penn., and near Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA  Many of the families from New Jersey came from this locality so a brief account of activities in that part of Sussex County during this time should prove interesting to readers: (another day ... another blog)

John Reading, a large landholder in colonial New Jersey, mentioned writing a deed to Jonathan Pettit in his diary entry of May 26, 1749. The deed was written at the home of Samuel Green also my  relative  who lived in the area that later became Sussex County, New Jersey, USA.

Jonathan Pettit became a Justice of the Peace on May 13, 1749 in Morris Co., Sussex Co., which was erected from Morris Co., in 1753.

One of the first acts recorded in Sussex Co., was Jonathan's application for a tavern license on Nov. 20, 1753.

The first court in Sussex Co. was held at the house of Jonathan Pettit in Hardwick (now Frelinghuysen) Twp.,. The next year the county built a jail near Jonathan Pettit's tavern "The Dark Moon" and this was named the "Log Gaol". Log Gaol originally erected in 1824 is called Johnsonburg and is part of Warren Co., today.

Jonathan Pettit's family later moved to the southwest corner of Sussex Co., where they owned land on both sides of the Delaware River at Easton, Pennslyvania and Phillipsburg, New Jersey. 

Jonathan Pettit wrote his will on Oct. 20, 1768 and it was proved Feb. 4, 1769. The inventory of his estate was done on Nov. 15, 1768. Jonathan Pettit married Deborah Robbins who survived him and moved back to Hardwick Twp., Sussex Co., New Jersey after Jonathan Pettit's death. Deborah Robbins died in March 1791. Her will was written May 21, 1791 and proved Mar. 31, 1791.

CHILDREN OF JONATHAN AND DEBORAH INCLUDE:

NATHANIEL PETTIT, b. ca. 1744 moved to Canada and then returned to Easton, Pennsylvania. Several sources state that this Nathaniel also remained a bachelor but Rev. William Frazier baptized two children of Nathaniel and Margaret Pettit of Phillipsburg, Sussex Co., New Jersey on Jan. 15, 1769 which is the same day Rev. Frazier baptized the two youngest children of Jonathan and Deborah Pettit. This record leads to the conclusion that this Nathaniel had at least two children: Jonathan and John Pettit and possibly others.

DINAH ROBBINS PETTIT, my 6th great grand mother b. Feb. 1746, d. Nov. 8, 1804 (killed by a falling tree); married John Moore my 6th great grand father John Moore was born in New Jersey in 1739, son of Edward and Mary Moore. John Moore was a Loyalist during the American Revolution. John Moore and Dinah Robbins Pettit moved to Grimsby, Ontario in 1787. He died May 16, 1803. Children: Mary, Deborah (married JACOB GLOVER my 5th great grand father), Elizabeth, Jonathan, Rachel, William, Pierce, Dinah, Margaret, and Charles Moore.

JONATHAN PETTIT, b. ca. 1748; was executor of his brother Isaac's will in 1787 in Sussex Co., NJ; later moved to Canada; may have been the Jonathan Pettit who settled on Patterson's creek on Lake Erie.

ISAAC PETTIT, b. ca. 1753; married Mary Buckner and died in 1787 in Hardwick Twp.,, Sussex Co., NJ. His will was written Jan. 12, 1787 and proved Jan. 234 (36:177). In it he mentioned his children: Rachel, John, Elizabeth, Deborah, and Jonathan Pettit.

ANDREW PETTIT, b. Mar. 22 or 27, 1756; married Sarah Smith, daughter of John and Sarah Smith on Apr. 9, 1780. They settled on a farm near the Log Gaol. In 1787 they moved with other Loyalist
families from NJ to Canada. Andrew was instrumental in establishing the Episcopal church at Grimsby, ON. He died Oct. 17, 1841. Their children were: Jonathan, Elizabeth, Sarah, John Smith, Andrew, Martha, Nathaniel, Deborah, Isaac, and Asa Pettit.

ELIZABETH PETTIT, b. 1758, d. 1835; m. Benjamin Bell. They stayed in NJ to care for her mother and moved to Canada after the mother's death. Benjamin went in 1791 and when he did not return the following year Elizabeth made the trip on her own with eight children under the age of 16. They settled in Grimsby Twp., ON. Benjamin died in 1820. They had children: Anna (Nancy), Jonathan, Deborah, Elizabeth, Mary, Isaac, Nathaniel, Sarah, and Benjamin Bell.

JOHN PETTIT, b. Apr. 22, 1761, near Easton, PA, d. June 7, 1851. He married Jan. 20, 1780, Sarah Carpenter, daughter of Ashman & Mary (Boyle) Carpenter. She was born Nov. 9, 1761 and died Oct. 24, 1813. He m-2 June 17, 1814 Mary Carpenter (Sarah's sister). John served with the loyal NJ volunteers during the Revolutionary War. In 1787 he joined other Loyalists in their move to Canada. Children of John & Sarah (Carpenter) Pettit were: Mary, Deborah, Elizabeth, Jonathan Isaac, Ashman, Sarah, Margaret, Ruth, John Carpenter, Pamela, and Martha Pettit.

WILLIAM PETTIT, b. ca. 1763, bapt. Jan 15, 1769, by Rev. William Frazier; may have died young.
Sussex County, when first formed 8 June, 1753, contained four townships--Newton, Walpack, Hardwick and Greenwich. The county courts were established by and ordinance emanating from the Governor of New Jersey and his Council and executed in the name of King George II. The first General Session of the Court of the Peace and common Pleas was opened in Hardwick 20 Nov., 1753, at the public house of Jonathan Pettit. The first Judges chosen were John Anderson, Jonathan Pettit, Jonathan Robeson, Abraham Van Campen and Thomas Woolverton. Joseph Perry was sworn in as Constable. Some licences to taverns were granted, rates established for entertainment thereat and then the first court adjourned.

On April 16, 17 and 18, 1754, all qualified voters were asked to meet at the house of Samuel Green to select a place to build a jail and court house. A log jail was ordered built but no provision was made for a court house. The jail was erected on land donated for the purpose by Samuel Green and he and Jonathan Pettit superintended its construction. The Log-Gaol, mentioned so often by Loyalists from New Jersey, was used from 1754 until 1763, when the new one at Newton was completed. It had watchman day and night to guard the prisoners, most of whom were in jail for debt.

During these nine years the courts convened alternately at the taverns and the judges were chosen from among the tavern keepers. The double log-tavern of Jonathan Pettit stood one and a half miles east of Johnsonburg on the road to Greenville near the ravine, a short distance upstream from the Log meeting house used by the Presbyterians, prior to the erection of the Yellow Frame church. It  was called the "Dark Moon" tavern from its sign--a black crescent on a white ground. This name came to

applied to the surrounding country, the meeting house, the graveyard (aka Dyers) and the ravine.

After the county seat was located there the tavern became too small to provide room for the parties having business at court. Instead of enlarging his house Mr. Pettit built other log houses as the demand grew until he had five of the lodging houses standing in line on the other side of the road.

(Frances Pettit, historian, who provided these notes, remarked, "These were the ancestors of the modern tourist camp".) The Dark Moon Tavern was the rendezvous of notorious characters for miles around and the Sunday amusements were card playing, quoits playing, horse racing, cock fighting and bear baiting.

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From The Pettit Correspondent, Volume 4, Number 1, page155

William Pettit of Newton, New Jersey

From "History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey" - Snell, pp. 2

and 286 Submitted by Harriet Hull

(1923 E. Joyce St. #343, Fayetteville, AR 72703)

The Pettits were originally French Huguenots, who, to escape from  religious persecution, came to America in 1660 and settled at New Rochelle and Newtown, Queens Co., LI., NY Some members of the family removed thence to Northern New Jersey, and about 1742 are found in Hardwick,Warren Co., at Newton, and at the Log Jail, now Johnsonsburg. There were six brothers who came to Sussex County. Jonathan Pettit lived in Hardwick, and died in 1753 (he was one of four judges for the county

who were first appointed by George III.); Amos, who lived in Brighton, was born in 1724; John, who lived in Newton, was born in 1726, and died in 1796; Nathaniel was the first representative of Sussex County, elect Aug. 1