Old Boston Taverns and Tavern ClubsDrake, Samuel Adams
History
Old Boston Taverns and Tavern Clubs
Drake, Samuel Adams
Boston (Mass.) -- Social life and customs; Clubs -- Massachusetts -- Boston; Taverns (Inns) -- Massachusetts -- Boston
=Cole=, Samuel Cole's inn, west side of Washington Street, corner of
Williams Court, site of Thompson's Spa. In 1633-34 Samuel Cole set up the
first house of common entertainment. In 1635 he was licensed to keep an
ordinary, and in 1637-38 had leave to sell his house for an inn to Robert
Sedgwick. In 1646 James Penn was licensed here. Lt. William Phillips
acquired the property, and in 1656-57 mortgages "The Ship Tavern." He
conveys it to Capt. Thomas Savage in 1660. The later owners were Ephraim
Savage, 1677-78; Zachariah Trescott, 1712; Nicholas Bouve, 1715; John
Comrin, 1742; Jonathan Mason, 1742; James Lloyd, 1763, in whose family it
remained many years.
=Concert Hall=, south corner of Hanover and Court streets. In the _Book of
Possessions_ Jeremiah Houchin had house and garden here. His widow sold to
Thomas Snawsell in 1670, and Snawsell to John Russell in 1671; Eleazar
Russell to John Gardner and Priscilla Hunt in 1689-90; the heirs of
Gardner to Gilbert and Lewis Deblois in 1749; Deblois to Stephen Deblois
in 1754, and he to William Turner in 1769; Turner conveyed to John and
Jonathan Amory in 1789. In 1798 John Amory was the owner and James Villa
the occupier. A brick house, three stories, thirty windows, value $3000.
Villa had been a tenant, and was licensed as an innkeeper for some years.
Before it became a tavern the hall was used for various purposes--for
meetings, musical concerts, and by the Grand Masons.
=Cromwell's Head= or =Sign of Oliver Cromwell=, north side of School
Street. In the _Book of Possessions_ Richard Hutchinson was the owner of
land here. Abraham Brown acquired before 1658; Sarah (Brown) Rogers
inherits in 1689-90, and in 1692 Gamaliel Rogers conveyed to Duncan
McFarland; Mary (McFarland) Perkins inherits, and John Perkins deeds to
Joseph Maylem in 1714; John Maylem inherits in 1733, and the next owner is
Elizabeth (Maylem) Bracket, wife of Anthony Bracket. In 1764 Elizabeth
Bracket was licensed at her house in School Street, and Joshua Bracket was
licensed in 1768. In 1796 Abigail Bracket conveyed to John Warren, who was
the owner in 1798, and Henry Vose the occupier. A wooden house, three
stories, thirty windows, value $6000.
=Crown Coffee-House=, north side of State Street, the first house on Long
wharf (site of the Fidelity Trust Co. building). Jonathan Belcher was a
proprietor of Long Wharf, which was extended from State Street in 1710. In
1749 his son Andrew Belcher conveyed to Richard Smith "The Crown
Coffee-House," Smith to Robert Shellcock in 1751, and the administrator of
Shellcock to Benjamin Brown in 1788. In 1798 stores covered the site. In
1714 Thomas Selby was licensed as an innholder at the Crown
Coffee-House, and he died here in 1727. In 1729 William Burgess was
licensed, and in 1730 and 1733 Edward Lutwych; 1762 Rebecca Coffin; 1766
Richard Bradford; and in 1772 Rebecca Coffin.
[Illustration]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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