Colonel Benjamin Lincoln stayed at the Tavern sometime in September 1777 to oversee the expedition and gather the troops.
A beautiful blue-sky day the four of us gathered at the 1814 Red Brick house at the junction of Rt 30 and Waite Hill Road, with the permission of the owner, Nate Smith. We were looking for treasure from the Revolutionary War by means of a metal detector. On the property there is a small old barn at the road and the terrain from there rolls down to the river. We came up with a few pieces of round metal about a ½ inch in length. Along the river we found white fine pieces of porcelain with delicate blue design. We further investigated from a map found in the Town Records where the ‘Red Mill’ was located on the Mettawee River, labeled ‘Pawlet River’ on the map. Supposedly Willard Tavern was close by, and it just might have been this 1814 brick house according to Maria Hemenway who wrote in the Gazetteer.
FROM THE GAZETTER
The Vermont Historical Gazetteer, Abby Maria Hemenway, 1867, 3:896-7:
HOTELS. —Probably Captain Jonathan Willard was the first innkeeper in town, on the site of the present homestead of Henry Allen. Here the town and freeman’s meeting were held, and most of the public business transacted. His successor was Capt. Timothy Strong, who left in 1816 or 1817. … Reuben Smith kept tavern where B.F. Giles now lives, some 20 years, closing in 1832.
The 1869 Beer’s Atlas shows an H. Allen on the west side of Rt. 30 about ⅔’s of the way from the village to the junction with Waite Hill Rd.
Historic Architecture of Rutland County, 180:
Two sons of John Allen, Elisha and Nathan, had similar substantial brick homes (31,32) built c.1835 on their adjoining farms along the Mettawee Valley road.
One is the brick house across from Waite Hill Rd. and the other is the brick house with four chimneys and a small wooden addition on the north side about a mile and a quarter north of the center of town.
Pedigree Chart for Samuel Willard
Hours of metal detecting and digging we decided to continue another day.
We were amazed to discover the old barn across the street and try to identify its date and what it was used for. A very unusual barn!
There are two houses across the street dated 1773 and 1770 in the Town Records. Curious to know more!
Next stop the ‘Old Soldier’s Road’ – date to be determined. This old road was used during the Revolution to transport whatever from Pawlet to Wells and beyond.
