The Best of Craft Beers
in a Friendly Atmosphere
Join us for a Brew
and Some Fun!
CHECK SM and THIS SITE FOR LATEST
The Best of Craft Beers
in a Friendly Atmosphere
Join us for a Brew
and Some Fun!
CHECK SM and THIS SITE FOR LATEST
What to chill in a more intimate setting?
Want to have your own event or party or meeting?
We are open for business! Click the link on this page for more detail.
Monday: 1:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Tuesday: 1:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Wednesday: 1:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Thursday: 1:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Friday: 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday: 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm
With permission from The College of William and Mary Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, who has the original Frenchman’s Map, the project team at The Cannon Tap Room of Brass Cannon Brewing, headed by Phil Norfolk, is replicating the Frenchman’s Map to cover the entire ceiling of the main tap room. On Friday, December 4th 2020, there will be a small gathering to mark the installment of the first tile in this series.
A Brief History of The Frenchman’s Map – The Frenchman’s Map of 1782 Williamsburg is a to scale map probably drawn by one or more French Military Officer(s). It is also known as The Bible of the Restoration of Colonial Williamsburg, having served as one of the guides, and some say perhaps the most important guide, to the archaeological restoration of Colonial Williamsburg as we experience it today.
Lost after the American Revolution, the map turned up between the pages of an old book bought by John D. Crimmins a New York contractor and map collector, about 1909 when he bought a small library in Norfolk VA. The map was then donated to The College of William and Mary who upon receiving it, framed it, and hung it in the Library, where it stayed until Pastor Goodwin of Bruton Parish embarked upon his quest to restore Williamsburg. Goodwin realized how important the map could be and the story goes that in 1927 Goodwin and a merry band started trying to layout and rediscover Colonial Williamsburg using The Frenchman’s Map along with a surveyors tap and a sword to stake it down! Such is the lore surrounding both the map and the restoration of one of America’s favorite guideposts in the History of the Nation.
Widely held to now be a billeting map to house French soldiers through the winter, approximately to scale, except for the actual buildings not being to scale, done by one or more people, probably in the French Quartermaster’s troop, the map is being reproduced as accurately as possible, on the ceiling of The Cannon Tap Room, by the careful routing of approximately 189 2ftX2ft ceiling tiles using a computer numerical controlled routing table, and then each tile carefully hand painted and then assembled back into the ceiling.
The staff at The Cannon see this important map, that has been used as an important tool guiding the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg, as a critical document that few locals, let alone visitors to Colonial Williamsburg are aware of, let alone able to actually see. Brass Cannon Brewing Inc., is changing that and visitors to The Cannon Tap Room at Brass Cannon Brewing, can now view the Frenchman’s Map simply by looking up, using a one-page guide, available as a handout, to help make features of the map understandable and relatable to the actual restored town.
Also available at The Cannon Tap Room is the definitive book by Alan Simpson called The Mysteries of the Frenchman’s Map of Williamsburg Virginia, which has been out of print but which Brass Cannon Brewing is making available through a limited reprint, all the profits from which, are being donated back The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation who is the publisher.
We are a Veteran owned brewery and we know what it means to "be there" for the folks around us and for them to be there for us. We want to show our appreciation and thanks at least when it comes to our beers! So, if you are an ER nurse or doctor, EMT, Ambulance, Fire, Police, Active Duty Military or a Vet.... let us say thank you... by offering discounts everyday.
WE ARE STARTING TO TURN EVENTS BACK ON SLOWLY SO KEEP AN EYE ON OUR WEBSITE AND SM.
((Coming again SOON))
Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter will find a major event at The Cannon tied to a special charity and themed through music, activities and information/learning. For example MARCH brings SHAKE YOUR SHAMROCKS!! APRIL is our own ALE AID Jazz Fest. The rest of the high season we simply rock it out with fun stuff EVERY weekend. Then, come OCTOBER we launch a month long celebration we call GHOSTOBERFEST when we also start collecting for the Toys for Tots and the VA Food Bank (we donated over 100 toys and almost 400 lbs of food in 2019). But in the end, the brewery is about the Beer and Fun. Fun with friends old and new. Fun with family you were born to or family you choose. To help that along we are constantly offering entertainment and options to give back, but we are nothing if not just a place to relax to do the most important thing in life... spend time with each other... chill out... and knock back a top notch brew. Come on by and check it out!))
Happening Weekly
Mondays- Military Monday BOGO 1/2 Off Growler Fills
Tuesdays- BINGO Night- Free to Play
Wednesdays- Vintage Vinyl & Game Night
Thursdays- Original Old School Trivia Night
Fridays- Beer Releases & Events
Saturdays- Live Music & Events
Sundays- Sunday Funday in the Tap Room
* For Details Check the Calendar *