The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-20
AN OLD VIRGINIA TAVERN.

AN OLD VIRGINIA TAVERN.
Publication has been made of the fact
that the old Swan Tavern at the
northwest corner of Ninth and Broad
street, is soon to be torn down to make
room for modern business houses, and it
is but natural that the oldest inEabit-
ants" and other aged citizens should en-
deaVOr to recall some of its history. We
have heard several or them descant
upon it as a public house OF ancient
date and some fame but they gave no
precise Information as to the date when
it was opened or when it ceased to be a
place of public resort. One sees there
now nothing but a row of two-storied
frame houses, used as stores, offices,
shops and lodging rooms, and we sup
pose that it never could have been a
very imposing structure. 1t seems to
have been erected at different periods
as the demand upon it's space grew, but
we are Informed that all of the build
ingS that ever were there are there now
except the stable. which was of brick
and which was located between the tav-
ern and Eighth street.
The Swan is supposed to have had it's
origin in or near the Revolutionary
period. Possibly it was built about the
time when the old capitol, which stood
near the corner of Cary and Fourteenth
streets. was vacated and the present
capitol building was occupied.
The Swan is said to have been named
after the Swan family. At one time it
was owned by a DR.. Swan. But the
sign which for a long time was sus-
pended over the sidewalk on Broad
street represented a swan (the most
graceful of aquatic birds), and is sails
to have been very pretty piece of
Notwithstanding far more artistic
than such signs usually were. In it's
latest days the name was changed from
the Swan Tavern to THE Broad Street
Hotel"
OF its proprietors few are remembered.
We have a record showing that in 1919
Mr.. Belfour was the host. Later on Col
Blakey and Mr.. Isaac A Goddin, at
different times, were the proprietors Mr.
Goddin was a we'll known man in his
day, and lived to green old age. Col
Blakey is remembered as large man,
of military bearing, whose features were
those of the English type,
The Swan, so far as we can learn, was
never fashionable hotel, but was re-
garded as a well kept. moderate priced
place of entertainment, where good
meals and beds were to be found. 1t
was for years much in favor with theat-
rieal people. Mr. Joseph Jefferson, when
very young man. and a member of
the stock company of the old Marshall
Theater here, boarded there and long
occupied "a room on the second floor at
the corner of Ninth and Broad. Upon a
visit to this city some years ago he
drove to the tavern, and sitting in his
carriage pointed out to the Richmond
friend who occupied a seat by his side
the room which had been his.
Edgar Allan Poe was a frequenter of
the Swan, and was Ill there for two
weeks during his last visit to Richmond.
This was shortly before his death,
which occurred in Baltimore, and DR..
RaWlinS was his attending physician.
The depot of the Fredericksburg rail-
road was for long time at the north
west corner of Broad and Eighth streets
and that must have been of much adj
vantage to the Swans business.
When great political conventions were
held here, or when the Legislature was
in session. or when interesting cases in
the courts attracted many visitors to
Richmond, no doubt the old tavern had
a fair share of the patronage OF dis
tinguished gentlemen.
There is a tradition that that was
the case when Aaron Burr was on trial
here 0S07) before Chief Justice Mar
shall and Judge Griffin When the
court took a recess learned counsel and
others, we imagine, sometimes adjourn
ed to the Swan, or to the Washington
Tavern date the ST. Claire), to take
drinks We do not know whether the
Powhatan House, now Fords, was IN
existence then or not, but 1t may nave
been. If so, it appeared in diminutive
form for its present size is due to sew
eral engagements that have been made
from time to time-the greatest Oh
which was made after 1t came into the
hands of Me. Ford.
But no matter about that. 1t is Ger
tain that the old Swan is an aged
structure. but for decades it has been
out of use as a hosiery. 1t does not
appear in the list of hotels given In
the city directory of 1859. The name OF
tavern has adhered to it, though an
effort was made to change it to THE
Broad Street Hotel" In this it showed
an unchangeableness unlike the WASH
ington Tavern, which changed to the
Central Hotel. then to the Monument NJ
then to the Capitol. and then to the St.
claire. Indeed. it may have, had many
other titles. but we believe that through
nearly all it's history it was used as
place of public entertainment. During
a part of the war the confederacy
ouartered one of its bureaus there.
The original Washington Tavern
building has wholly disappeared, haV-
ing recently been removed to make way
for Mrs. AtlSinson's new hotel. Tne
richmond The section that one sees
| stiu fronting Ninth street is OF COM
paratively modern origin, and was
| built. we think, when the property was
owned by James Lyons. Esq.-Rlch-
mond Times Dispatch.