On the eve of the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary, a bitter rivalry has erupted in Philadelphia over the right to resurrect Tun Tavern, the legendary colonial-era pub that served as the Corps’ first recruiting station.
Two competing groups — one a nonprofit coalition of heritage organizations, the other led by a retired Marine entrepreneur — are moving forward with separate projects, each claiming to be the true heir to the iconic name.
Montgomery Dahm, a retired Marine who founded the Tun Tavern brewpub in Atlantic City in 1998, announced plans earlier this month to purchase the Lucha Cartel restaurant at 207 Chestnut Street in Old City and convert it into a new Tun Tavern. Dahm, who owns the “Tun Tavern” trademark, said he will invest up to $3 million of his own money to transform the property into a tavern, event space, and “living museum.” His goal: a soft opening on Nov. 10, the date of the Marine Corps’ founding in 1775.
Dahm insists his project is about patriotism and honoring service. “I will fight to the end,” he told The Inquirer. “It’s all about everyone who served. That’s the number one reason I’m doing this.”
Meanwhile, just 400 feet away, the Tun Legacy Foundation — a nonprofit backed by Marine veterans and Philadelphia’s oldest heritage societies — has its own plans for a multi-story restaurant and museum. Purchased in April 2024, their site on Second Street south of Market has already raised $9 million for construction and completed architectural drawings. Board member Craig Mills, also a retired Marine, confirmed the project is moving ahead despite a lawsuit filed by Dahm challenging the group’s use of the “Tun” name.
The competing visions highlight not just a legal dispute but also a cultural one. Tun Tavern, built in the 1690s on the Delaware River, was razed in 1781, and no contemporary images survive. Artists’ renderings from later centuries have shaped popular perceptions of the tavern, but both groups admit their re-creations will be interpretations rather than exact replicas.
Dahm’s design leans Colonial Revival, with a gabled roof and front porch, while the nonprofit’s plan suggests a Georgian Colonial look. Both promise tavern-style menus, historical exhibits, and spaces to honor the Marine Corps and other groups that trace their origins to the Tun, including the Freemasons and St. Andrew’s Society.
For now, the only physical reminder of Tun Tavern is a historical marker along Front Street near I-95. But with two projects under construction within blocks of each other, Philadelphia could soon find itself with not one, but two Tun Taverns — each staking a claim to the Marine Corps’ storied birthplace.
Whether the rivalry enhances the legend or dilutes it remains to be seen. What is clear is that Tun Tavern, once lost to history, has returned to spark a very modern battle over memory, money, and patriotism.
