As Marines past and present know, Tun Tavern is the birthplace of the U.S. Marine Corps, as declared by the Second Continental Congress on Nov. 10, 1775. Patrons may one day be able to visit a replica of the tavern, located just a block away from the original structure that burned down in 1781 in Philadelphia.

Marine Corps veteran Monty Dahm recently entered into an agreement to purchase Lucha Cartel, a 2,400-square-foot Mexican restaurant located at 207 Chestnut St. Through a multiphase renovation, which Dahm is self-funding, he will construct a replica of the historic tavern.

“It’s going to be an older reproduction, as close as we can model it from what we know,” said Dahm, who enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1983 and served for four years under the MOS 0847, artillery meteorology. “It

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