Combine business and pleasure 18th-century style when you visit Fredericksburg.  On Caroline Street, you will find the Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop and the Rising Sun Tavern, social centers of town during the colonial period.

The apothecary shop looks as it did the day in 1776 when Mercer left Fredericksburg to serve in the Continental army.  Mercer, a brigadier general, was killed at the Battle of Princeton. His shop, though filled with few original items, does authentically reflect the colonial practice of both diagnosing ailments and preparing medications. (Of note: General George S. Patton of World War II fame was Huge Mercer’s great, great, great grandson.)

Dr. Mercer obtained his medical degree in Scotland at the University of Aberdeen.  He served as assistant surgeon to the Army of the Pretender, Charles Edward Stuart, and provided medical assistance at the Battle of Culloden.  Mercer's support for a losing cause forced his emigration to Philadelphia in 1746.  Later when he moved to Fredericksburg, he entered into practice with Dr. Ewen Clements.  They placed the following ad in an issue of the Virginia Gazette in 1771: "...This day became Partners in the Practice of Physick and Surgery, and have opened Shop on Main Street, furnished with a large assortment of Drugs and Medicines just imported from London."

Dr. Mercer had become friends with several Virginians while serving in the French and Indian War.  One of his closest friends was George Washington.  Since Washington's mother, sister and brother lived in Fredericksburg (see Kenmore Plantation and Mary Washington House selection), the two men were able to maintain close ties.  It is likely that many Virginia patriots gathered with these two experienced soldiers in the candle-lit office library to discuss British intransigence.

The Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop at 1020 Caroline Street is open daily 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.  A nominal admission is charged.

Just down the street at 1304 Caroline Street is another popular meeting spot, the Rising Sun Tavern.  Built in 1760 for Charles Washington, George's younger brother, it was his home and not a tavern.  Later in the century it became a tavern, where entertainment was provided by traveling players.  Balls and many meetings took place as well.  The tavern also served as the stage coach stop and Post Office.

Visitors to Rising Sun Tavern see the original tavern;  although it has been extensively restored and refurnished, it has never been structurally altered.  It is a simple colonial story-and-a-half-frame house that looks more residential than commercial.  The hand-beveled clapboard, steep gabled roof and narrow dormer windows look quite homey.

During renovations the original bar railing was found.  This has made it possible to rebuild the bar to its 18th-century specifications.  The tap room has an impressive collection of English and American pewter.  There are also gaming tables reflecting the sporting nature of the tavern.

Guided tours of the Rising Sun Tavern are given daily April through November from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.  From December through March hours are 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. The tavern is closed on major holidays. Admission is charged.

James Mercer, a lawyer who moved to Fredericksburg in 1768, was also a friend of the Washington family.  He wrote the will of Mary Ball Washington (George’s mother) in 1788.  Mercer purchased ten lots in a new part of Fredericksburg created by Fielding Lewis (the husband of George Washington’s sister, see Kenmore selection).

Mercer called his small gambrel-roofed house, St. James House, in rememberance of the Dublin, Ireland street where his family’s home was located.  Mercer was politically active, serving in 1779 as one of Virginia’s delegates to the Continental Congress and ending his career by serving as a judge on the Virginia Court of Appeals. 

The house, filled with elegant English and American antiques as well as outstanding 18th-century porcelain and glass, is now owned by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities.  It is open during Historic Garden Week and the first week in October, and other times by appointment; call (540) 373-0776.

Directions:  From I-95 take the Fredericksburg exit, Route 3.  Take Route 3 to William Street, then follow the blue visitor signs and turn right on Princess Ann Street.  Then turn left on Caroline Street.  Continue following blue signs to the Fredericksburg Visitor Center on Caroline Street.  You can obtain maps and brochures on all the city attractions.   St. James House is at 1300 Charles Street.