Owned and operated by the Town of Clifton Park, New York since 1999.
Restored through the assistance of Community volunteers, Town staff, & New York State grants.

Helpful Links:
Facility Use Policy, Fees, and application
History of Historic Grooms Tavern

 Upcoming Programs and Events:

• The Historic Grooms Tavern and the adjacent blacksmith and wagon making shop are on the National Register of Historic Places. To promote interest in the blacksmith shop and its restoration, the local Aurgener-Seelye Chapter of amateur archaeologists under the leadership of Dave Moyer of Birchwood Archaeological Services will be doing an archaeological survey around the blacksmith shop during the weekends of July 1-2 and July 8-9 from 9 AM until 3 PM. The public is invited to stop by and witness the excavation in progress and learn about archaeological procedures and the history of the tavern and blacksmith shop. Members of the public may even be recruited to help out! Members of Clifton Park’s Historic Preservation Commission and Friends of Historic Grooms Tavern will be available to answer questions and provide tours of the Tavern.

                  The Historic Grooms Tavern was built by James Groom in about 1825 and was the site of the formation of the Town of Clifton Park in 1828. Formerly a part of the Town of Halfmoon, Clifton Park was the last town formed in Saratoga County. Adjacent to the tavern (later a general store) is a blacksmith and wagon making shop operated by Samuel Groom, son of James. Samuel took over the ownership of the tavern from his father in 1847 and established the blacksmith and wagon making shop next door. Both buildings are now owned by the Town of Clifton Park and serve as an Historical and Cultural Center hosting town events, meetings, lectures and other special programs.

  Blacksmithing was an important position during the nineteenth century when transportation depended on horse and buggy. Chalk inscriptions on the interior walls of the Grooms blacksmith shop bear the names of those who were married in the tavern next door or perhaps by the blacksmith. These inscriptions date from 1856 to 1886, and indicate an interesting tradition.

  The Town of Clifton Park is seeking grant monies to stabilize and eventually to restore the blacksmith shop. This will allow for the exhibition of horse drawn vehicles and farm equipment that are currently stored at various sites.   

• Saturday, August 19 at 10 AM: Join Clifton Park Town Historian for a guided walk through the Vischer Ferry Historic District ending at the Amity Church Cemetery where Chris Nafis will describe how he restored the cemetery using ground penetrating equipment and drones to map it and early records to determine the families and their genealogies of those buried there. The tour will begin and end at the end of Ferry Drive by the Mohawk River. Walking distance is about one and one half miles total. Lunch at the Vischer Ferry General Store is an option.

• Saturday, September 9 at 10 AM: Join Clifton Park Historian John Scherer for a brief walking tour of the historic hamlet of Jonesville, followed by a tour of the Jonesville Rural Cemetery. Featured on the tour will be the Jonesville Academy, the Jonesville store and the site of the Jonesville Tavern. We will also visit some interesting monuments and early settlers at the cemetery that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Meet in the parking lot of the Jonesville Methodist Church on Main Street at 10 AM. Walking distance is less than two miles total.

• Saturday, September 16 at 10 AM: Learn about Clifton Park’s first farms and early families on a walking tour to the site of Clifton Park’s first settlement at Fort’s Ferry on the Mohawk River. Clifton Park Historian will provide information and early photographs of these first farms, now located within the Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve. Meet at the Whipple Bridge at the entrance to the Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve. Walking distance is about 2 miles total.

• Friday, October 20 at 7 PM: “Remembering the Dearly Departed” will be the subject of a power point presentation presented by Clifton Park Historian John Scherer at the annual meeting of the Friends of Historic Grooms Tavern. Learn about early funeral practices and mourning customs practiced by nineteenth century residents of our town. The presentation will be at the Historic Grooms Tavern and the public is invited.