When I was a child growing up in Concord I sometimes heard stories about the old taverns that once prospered around our little town. I was quite intrigued and captivated because I was told the old Concord Coaches would stop at these taverns and use them as a common place to allow passengers to arrive while picking up new passengers too. Some of the original taverns also had boarding and meals available with a stable to allow the team of horses to be watered and fed.
Taverns have existed for centuries in other countries, becoming a tradition when our forefathers immigrated to America during the Colonial period. A tavern was simply the epicenter that allowed for comfortable travel and support while providing early social aspects for patrons, a firm ground for politicians to speak, a place where people discussed everything from politics to homelife and a warm place on a cold day where spirits could be consumed and accepted by all.
Here in Concord there were many taverns back in the early days of our history. Some of the taverns perhaps were better known, such as the Stickney Tavern, Butters Tavern and certainly Osgood’s Tavern, the first tavern established in Concord. Some of the additional local taverns were scattered about town at convenient locations. Benjamin Hannaford kept a tavern at the corner of North Main and Church Streets as early as the year 1777. He was a property owner and a carpenter by trade, income that helped him support his tavern without financial concerns. Benjamin Hannaford did well for himself and even donated funds to build our first court house here in Concord. In 1793, Benjamin Hannaford purchased land at the corner of Walker and North State Streets and opened a tavern.
Samuel Butters opened a tavern at 131 South Main St. in Concord during this period too. One of the last standing original taverns in Concord that survived many generations the building was demolished during the mid-1900s to allow for the construction of a gasoline station. Butters Tavern was frequented by militia during the late 1700s and many a meeting was held there while plotting against the British troops. Kinsman House was another early tavern and established by Aaron Kinsman, a captain in the New Hampshire regiment at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The Kinsman Tavern was situated on eight acres of land with frontage on North Main Street, opposite School Street. Kinsman also kept a hotel prior to 1780 at his tavern.
Stickney Tavern was located on corner of North Main and Court Streets. The location of the present-day Merrimack County Court House. It was known to be quite grand with a green yard, gardens and orchards surrounding it. It reached as far back as Summer Street during its day. It was considered a New England mansion with public halls, porches and fine dining. The Concord Coaches would arrive daily with additional patrons. William Stickney opened this grand tavern on Jan. 8, 1791, and it quickly became known as one of the most grandest public houses north of Boston. It has been said that during a celebration to honor the pastor of the Old North Church in Concord there were as many as 1,200 sleighs traveling up Main Street in route to the Stickney Tavern for the celebration. The Stickney Tavern retained its name until the day it closed in 1837 after successfully operating for well over a century.
Gale’s Tavern was another local establishment frequented by our ancestors. This tavern was operated from 1797 until at least 1832 and located on the north corner of North Main and Warren Streets. It was established by Benjamin Gale and considered a well-established anchor in town.
Many an auction was held at the Gale’s Tavern and many acres of land were sold. In 1815, there were also two taverns located in the very same area on 250 North Main St., the Washington Hotel and the Solomon, owned by David George in 1807. Meetings and dances were held on a regular basis at these two establishments as early as 1808. Many of the old post riders delivering the mail also found refuge at the Gale’s Tavern considering it a base for their operations and social activities.
With the long-term success witnessed at the Butters Tavern, Samuel Willey decided he would open his very own tavern in direct competition with Butters Tavern. Willey established the S.W. Tavern on South Main Street in 1810. Samuel Willey felt he could indeed make a living with his little tavern and boasted “Cheap and liberal terms at the head of the Londonderry Turnpike.” Willey lasted until about 1821 and decided to close his South Main and Water Street location leaving Butters Tavern his old customers too.
As the taverns closed, we lost a piece of old American history. Restaurants and hotels such as the Eagle and Phenix absorbed the former tavern patrons. Lunch wagons and diners were further established down on our Main Street. It was an end of an era that provided so much more than a room, a drink and some conversation. It provided comfort to the weary traveler, a safe haven on a stormy night where every patron was a friend not a foe. I still recall the stories fondly, these finely woven establishments that provided a network to travel the colonies and beyond.