The Warren Tavern was probably the first building erected in Charlestown after the British razed the town during the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. It was founded by Captain Eliphelet Newell in 1780. Newell had been believed to have been a participant at the famous Boston Tea Party and as an ardent patriot and admirer of Dr. (general) Joseph Warren, it is natural that he named his tavern after the fallen hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Other famous visitors included Paul Revere, who had been a close friend of Warren's and stated often that the Tavern was one of his favorite watering places. Later after the Revolutionary War, General George Washington, on a visit to Charlestown to see his old friend Benjamin Frothingham, stopped here for "refreshments."