Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-02-03
"Reminiscences Of the Pavilion.

the interests Of improvement than ourselves, still
II cannot be denied that the approaching dcstruc-
ton Of tho old Pavilion has awakened feelings Of
regret aud sorrow In the community, and cspeci-
ally in the bosoms Of the older inhabitants, who
remember It in its palmy days, and who have
passed. many pleasant hours before the old fire.
place in the days Of ddd tang gnc For more
than three score years the Pavilion has been one
Of the famous resorts Of Normontors Cooyal
with the first State House, Il has had under It's
roof nearly all the noted men Of the state, and OF
distinguished foreigners not a few. For years
after It's erection II was the finest hotel in the
state and one Of the sights Of the Capital much
more so than the first stato-house, which was
ashabby structure in comparison with the Pavilion,
Could It's old walls speak, what tales they might
tell of political intrigue plotting and counter
plotting, the schemes Of statesmen and the
wilcs Of knavcs" and in the times Of the Election
Balls they doubtless beheld many Irritation and
loye-making between the partners in Money
musk" and the Twin sisters" Births, marriages
and deaths have all taken place there; sad and
merry hearts have come and gone without number,
and left no trace behind 1.-THE Chronicles Of
| the Pavilion" would be curious enough If written
in fun, would furnish the material for many ro-
nance, and the students Of history and Of human
nature would be alike interested la its pages u
has often been said that a tayorn shows the CONF
munity in miniature; and the Old Pavilion hcing
emphaticaly the headquarters Of the state, has
been the scene Of much that has influenced or
controlled the destinics Of Vermont la time past
ITS EARLIEST DAYS.
During the session Of the legislature nc Dan,lllo
in 1906 ii WAS decided To build the State House ut
Montpelier, provided the town OF its inhabitants
paid the bills and conveyed the property to the
state. Mr. THOMAS DAVIS, who gave the land
upon which the State House was erected, deter
mined to build q suitable tavern for the nccommo-
daton Of the expected guests. Thomas Davis
was the second son Of Col JAcoH DAVIS, the first
settler Of the town, and came with h- father 90
Montpelier when he was fifteen years old, May
/ the 4th 1851 In 1900 there were two public
houses in town Che first Union House. built hy
Col JAcoB DAVIS in 1893 the only tavern n tlo
county at the time Of It's erection and the Hutch
ms tavern, which occupied the site Of the barn
and stables attached to what was afterwards
known as the Shepard tavern aud the Farmers
/ Hotel. Both these structures were Of wood, but
Mr.. Davis determined to build the new ono Of
brick. Work was begun in the spring Of 1907,
and the foundation and brick work Wore finished
that year The foundations were laid on two tiers
of spruce logs placed horizontally u prevent set
Ting, and the brick walls were sixteen inches
thick Think Of that, in these degenerate days
Its frontage on State street was the same rs now;
but on the west side it extended back only seven
/ ty-one feet and on the east side thirty-two feet
/ 1t was three stories in hight with u roof nearly
| fiat The venerable Judge Daniel Baldwin, Of
Montpelier, was serving his apprenticeship as
carpenter and joiner at this time, and his brother
| Syyanus Baldwin, having taken the contract for
the woodwork young Daniel helped him, and It
is TO his rctoutyo memory that the writer Of these
rambling and desutory "reminiscences is indebted
for much Of his information in regar to this mat
ter Judge Baldwin says that the pine-wood
used in the finishing Of the building was cut from
the hill below the present cemetery, on part of
what has been called the old Walton farm, on Mr.
Davis share Of the pine-ands Of the town. The
lumber was sawed at Mr. Davis saw-nil ON the
north branch, about where Lane, Pitkin Brooks
factory is now. And while on this subject, the
writer cannot refrain from repeating an auecdotc
told him by Mrs. General Walton who, at the age
of eighty three still preserves a large share Of the
sprightliness Of youth and whose remembrance Of
events seventy years ago is as accurate q.
9
Persons, romping girl Of thirteen, remembers
seeing the roof frame Of the tavern set up ON what
is now known as Hubbard meadow, and ofherself
and Laura Davis running over the thinkers.
Mrs waltons residence in Montpelier has been
longer than that of any one now living, and
she, Hon. Daniel Baldwin Col L. 2. Jewett, and
William W. Caldwell Esq, are the ouly persons
now living in Montpelier who lived here then.
The writer is indebted to them, DR. J. Y Dewey and
to Mr. and Mrs r Hargn for anecdotes aud i'm
cidents relating to the Pavilion, and IL they are
| spoiled in the repetition let his be the blame
not theirs. And in regard 30 the name of the
house, It may well be stated here that at fut It
was called The Montpelier Hotel though more
generally known as Dayiss Tavern It was not
called Pavilion until Mr. Cottre added the piazzas
in 1929 and even then the people generally spoke
Of it as Cots"
The great glory of the hotel when new was the
circular stairs Mr.. Sylyanus Baldwin spent six
months in Boston, with Asher Benjamin, noted
architect and builder, learning TO make them,
and gave his time for nothing in repayment for
that and other secrets Of the trade The stairs
began in front Of the main entrance on state
street, and formed spiral ascent TO the third
story Such thing had never been seen in the
state before and it excited great deal of wonder
and admiration. In those days the hotel was sit
uated on a knoll considerably above the level Of
the street, which had just been opened, and wasn't
much better than path. Besides the bridge over
the North Branch there was little bridge over
a brook which ran from the hin just east OF the
tavern Inc street mas been raised ten ieet SINCE
ana 'he niue priuse done away WIN
]
word or two here about the plan Of the build
| ing; The main entrance, OF course, was on State
street but the door on the west side, now walled
up, WAS the most used. The halls were much the
same as now, and so was the entrance To the office
or bar-room and the great fireplace The office
was only about half as large as now, and north
OF it was the dnng-room, which extended to the
east side, and on the northeast corner were the
family rooms. The present sampe-room was
then used as sitting room. In the northeast
corner Of the Office in the form Of crescent,
was the bar, elegantly fitted up with cut glass de
canters, great Institution in those days, when
all drank more or less liquor Up stairs, over the
once, where the parlor is now, was hall, used
Tor Puphc dinners, and for dancing during the
great Election Balls. The rest of the house was
divided OIL INTO sleeping rooms, none of which
were carpeled The kitchen was in the cellar,
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