The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-04-15
THE INN GORS OUT.
A Famous Tavern to be Succeeded by an
Opera House-An Old Landmark,

Opera House-An Old Landmark
An old and familiar Bennington land
mark is doomed. The Stark house, a
longtime favorite hosiery, is to be torn
down. The house was sold at auction
Saturday for $3.50, and in few days the
old hotel, that has seen several genera
tons of men come and go, will itself be
gone. On the place where it stands will
go up fine brick block for stores and a
$4,000 opera house.
The tavern was erected by William
Mather, Connecticut man, in 1772-so
read the stone Intel set over one of the
old fire-places that was torn down in
1847. The tavern was originally story
and half gamble rooted building, paint
ed red, and extended as far east as the
Office door of the present enlarged struct-
ure. All traces of colonial architecture
have disappeared in the successive
changes, and about the only evidences
of antiquity are the low ceilings and
wide floor boards in some parts of the
first story. AS it stands to-day, three
stories high with double-deck piazzas
and thirty sleeping rooms, one would
hardly believe it must be considered 120
years old.
The tavern began life with bit of ro-
nance. One of the early landlords had
young, winsOme daughter who was one
of the attractions of the society of the
times. But tall, handsome young man,
horse dealer, came to town. The old
landlord frowned upon a proposed
match. One evening the girl jumped
from her bedroom window and landed
in her lovers arms. She was lifted to
the back of horse, and the young man
getting on behind they set out swiftly
for Hoosick, where the silken knot was
tied, The bride sleeps in the village
cemetery, but the story has escaped the
forgetfulness of century.
In early times the tavern was favor
lite stopping place for people emigrating
from Connecticut and Massachusetts, to
Vermont and New Hampshire. The
trimming mugs of hot toddy and flip
made around the fires of the old inn in
those times would appall the Prohibi-
zionist of to-day. After Mather gave up
the management of the inn it was run
for time by Jabez Lawrence, and he
was succeeded by man named Biddle-
come. 1t was afterward purchased by
Stephen Pratt, ST., Revolutionary
patriot, who was the landlord for many
years. Then his son Jonathan kept the
nOJel unCll III Tile IOrJleS, anu III ndu De-
come generally known as Pratt's inn. 1t
passed from the possession of Pratt to
that of julius Norton, and from him to
Captain Albert Walker, though the last
two never personally managed the hotel.
In 1S47 Mr.. Walker sold the property for
81 800 to Louis Cady, who successfully
ran the house until his death in 1868.
The hotel was managed by some one of
the Cady family-Lyman or Colonel
Willlam-till about 1879, when the
Colonel died. Since that time it has had
six or seven landlords. The hotel was
named the Stark house by George Cady.
a son of Louis Cady, in 1S47 in honor of
General Stark, the hero of Bennington
battle. Mr.. Cady intended to call it the
Walloomsac house, but James Hicks got
the start of him and gave the hotel at
Bennington Centre this name.
The Stark house is the oldest building
in Bennington village and is said to be
the fifth oldest hotel in Vermont. 1t has
narrowly escaped destruction by fire on
sever occasions, notably on February
14th, 1859, when all the upper portion of
the building was burned.-Dr Day in
T'rOu Times.