Morning journal and courier., 1890-07-25
OLD NORTH HAVEN TAVERN
Built by Timothy Andrews about ITO.

names of such persons Ut any as had CO me
to be known rs ''tayern hauntersh-that Is,
persons without employment who idled
away their time, and such names were re-
quired to be posted sat the doors of every
Tavern in town." with the prohibition that
no liquor should be furnished them by any
keeper under penalty of $40 for every such
offence If the 'thaunter'' persisted in his
contumacious course after being duly
warned and posted, he was fined So or made
to sit "two and one half hours in the stocks
on some public occasion"
Such are a few of the old time regulations
the general assembly found 1t necessary to
throw around the tavern. 1t is not to be
supposed North Haven did not need these
restrictions, for she did; yet, after a most
diligent search, it Is to the credit of Mr.. An
drews that the Sabbath was strictly observed
at his inn, and no one received any special
favors on that day.
Tradition has invested this old tavern with
Thousand delightful scenes and Incidents
Ii was the center of the parish, and beside
the meeting house, toward which every
| thing gravitated. Elections, weddings, din
ners, military musters, balls, all focused
their and brought their trains. The town
officials added their weight to it's prestige
| and drank it's bowl of sling with becoming
! dignity on all suitable occasions.
= In the winter months it received it's largest
accession of gaiety. Hither would come
from surrounding towns parties to dance
in the "Andrews Tavern" Nor were the
local youths and maidens a whit behind
| their neighbors in their obeisance to the light
footed goddess On sueh occasions ''old
Cato" black of the purest water and
manumitted slave of Colonel Barker of Wall
lingford, was accustomed to furnieh the mu-
sio He was mighty fiddler. No prompter
was needed. The dances were ''sauare" and
there were few indeed who did not know the
figures of ''Reei of Four" Moneymusk,"
Cup and Down." "Cheat," copper REEL"
ETC., etc. The men drank their sling, or
punch, or rum straight; the women slipped
''sangaree," a mixture of wine, water and
sugar. Before the close of the ball all sat
down to hearty supper.
| In connection with these scenes of pleasure
| there lies before the writer a brown discol-
| most four score years ago. It is a quaint
| reminder of those old days.
| THANKSGIVING BALL!
| The Managers respectfully present their
compliments to NJ. ......, soliciting your
attendance at Mr.. Andrews
BALL RooM, NORTH HAVEN,
Friday, Nov. e. 1912, at O'Clock, p m.
A. 4 HoasToa Managers r GMI sss11s1D
militia mussers" and general trsinin's"
were red letter days in this old tavern's his-
tory. On such occasions liquor flowed freely
(though drunkenness was rare) and the re-
sources OF the bar and the kitchen were
severely taxed. At these times food was IN
great demand. A meal .at~ths "irst table,
cost twenty FIVE cents aud at the ''second
table" half of thxt price. At the bar glass
of French brandy cost cents, nip of
sling" IL cents, a "nip of punch" II cents, a
"bowl of punch" 35 cents, gill of rum IA
cents, bowl of rum Is cents, gill of bit
4 tiers" 10 cents, quart OF cider brandy 80
| 90 81 ~
gin rs cents.
No task would be more pleasant than to
add to this narrative a few of the myriad
anecdotes incident to such a public resort,
but space forbids.
Mr. and Mrs. Andrews remained there un-
til little after 1880. Fortune had favored
them wonderfully. In this time the brick
house now owned by Rev. W. T. Reynolds,
the wooden dwelling known as the Henry
Smith place, and also that now occupied by
William Hull, had been built.
The life of the couple had been 80 active
that they determined to rest from some OF its
duties, and the care of the old stand was
transferred to their son Jesse and Seymour
| Bradley (recently deceased In New Haven).
But the sun of the country tavern was on
the down hill slope all through New Eng
land, and there was no longer any profit in
| the calling Mr. Bradley withdrew from the
partnership and young Andrews continued 1t
| alone for little time, when he surrendered
| 1t to his father again. He in turn leased 1t
| to one Perkins of Meriden until the property
was transferred to Captain John Farren. who
was the last landlord to sit upon the throne
of his predecessors. The completion of the
/ Hartford and New Haven railroad gave the
| final desthblow to this public house at least,
| and it was closed soon after 1870
| Mr.. Andrews, or "Uncle Jesse, as he came
to be more famiiisrly called in his later years,
became very infrm and died May 80, 1855,
at the age Of eighty. His faithful wife,
"Aunt Phila," followed him few years
| later.
The illustration acc ompanying this article
is from a recent photograph. The piazza in
front of the building is of modern date, AS
well as the door on the right: it replaced the
old fashioned "hood" SO common over the
front entrance of colonial houses. Under
meath this hood or portico was a small wood
en- platform, Aanked on either side by short
wooden settee. The interior has been come
what remodelled, but not sufficient to con.
fuse the old guests of century ago should
they come again in spirit to repeople its
rooms SHELDON B. THORPE