A 1762 Flemish-bond brick tavern on the NRHP, raided by British forces in 1778, now a private residence described as having 'probably more ghost stories than any similar building in the state.'
1349 Kings Highway, Pilesgrove, NJ 08098
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Private residence; exterior viewing from public road only. No interior access.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Rural road shoulder; exterior viewing only
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1762 · National Register of Historic Places (1976) · American Revolutionary War Site · 18th Century Salem County Architecture · Flemish Bond Brickwork
Peter Lauterbach completed the Seven Stars Tavern in 1762, constructing a two-and-a-half-story brick building in Flemish bond patterned brickwork at the junction of two roads in what is now Pilesgrove Township. He integrated the initials 'P L E' and the year into the brick — 'P' and 'L' for himself and 'E' for his wife Elizabeth.
The tavern served travelers on the road between the Salem County towns during the decades before the American Revolution. By 1778, the family had passed the property to John Louderback — Lauterbach's son, who anglicized the family name. Louderback had been supplying food to Continental Army troops and was, as a consequence, on a British wanted list. A party of British soldiers raided the tavern in search of him during the 1778 campaign through South Jersey. He is believed to have escaped.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 17, 1976 (NRHP reference 76001184), recognized for its significance in architecture, military history, and social history. The state of New Jersey designated it under the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in November 1975.
The tavern has long since ceased commercial operation and is now a private residence. Salem County and the visit Salem County tourism office have listed it as a dark tourism site, and a historical marker at or near the property notes its Revolutionary War significance. Library of Congress HABS documentation (NJ-126) includes measured drawings and photographs of the structure.
Sources
Salem County historian Charles S. Boyer documented the Seven Stars Tavern haunting tradition in his work Old Inns and Taverns in West Jersey, concluding that the building 'probably has more ghost stories woven around it than any similar building in the state.' The haunting accounts at Seven Stars are layered across three centuries.
The oldest legend involves Peter Lauterbach himself — the tavern's builder — said to haunt the property as a guardian of treasure he buried on the grounds. This is the classic buried-treasure ghost story: the original owner who cannot rest while his wealth remains hidden.
A second tradition describes a Tory spy who was captured, hanged, and whose restless presence has been associated with the building. During the Revolutionary War, Salem County had a significant Loyalist population, and Tories caught aiding British forces faced severe consequences from local authorities.
The most colorful legend connects the tavern to the body of the pirate known as Bluebeard, allegedly recovered from nearby Oldman's Creek and associated with the property. This account is not historically verifiable and may be an accretion from multiple eras of tavern folklore.
In the 1980s, a Philadelphia news team visited and conducted a séance in the tavern's attic — an event documented in regional accounts that added a modern investigative chapter to the building's lore. The property is now a private residence, and access to the interior is not available.
Notable Entities
Seven Stars Tavern sits at the junction of Sharptown-Swedesboro Road and Woodstown-Auburn Road in Pilesgrove Township. The 1762 Flemish-bond brick building is visible from the road. It is now a private residence; respect the property boundary. A historical marker near the site documents the tavern's Revolutionary War history.
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