The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-06-13
"OLD SWAN TAVERN,
IA Virginia Hostlery of Revolutionary
 Fame to be Torn Down.

Fame to be Torn Down.
 Publication has been made of the fact that 'the old Swan Tavern" at
 tho northwest corner of Ninth and
 Broad streets, is soon to be torn down to make room for modern business houses, and it is but natural that "the
 oldest inhabitants" and other aged
 citizens should endeaveor to recall
 some of its history. We have heard several of them descent upon it as public house of ancient date and some fame, but they gave no precise infor- nation as to the date when it was ooend or when it ceased to be a place lof public resort One sees there now nothing but a row of two storied Iframe houses, used as stores, offices, shops and lodgingoroons, and we supp lposc that it never could have been a lvery imposing structure. It seems to have been erected at different periods,
 as the demand upon it's space grew, but i've 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 tavern and Flights street.
 1 The Swan is supposed to have had it's origin in or near the Revolutionary period. Possibly,it was built about the I time when the old capitol which stood
 near the corner of Cary and Fourteenth Istreets, was vacated and the present capitol building was occupied.
 ] The Swan is said to have been named Iafter the Swan family. At one time it was owned by Dr. Swan. But the lsign which for long time was sus- pended over the sidewalk on Broad street represented swan (the most
 graceful of aquatic birds,) and is said | to have been a very pretty piece of painting-something far mare artistic than such signs usually were In it's latest days the name was changed from l the Swan Tavern to the Broad Street
 Hotel
 Of it's pfoprietors few are remem- 1bered. We have a record showing that 1 in 1919 Mir. Belfour was the host. Later
 on Colonel Blakey and Isaac A. Goddin,
 at different times, were the proprietors
 Mir. Goddin was welI-known man in l his day. and lived to a, green old age. Colonel Blakey is remembred as large man, of military bearing, whose fea-
 utres were those of the English type. l The Swan, so far as we can learn, was never a fashionable hotel, but was regarded as well kept moderate priced place of entertainment, where good
 meals and beds were to be found. It was for years much in favor with theatrical people. Joseph Jefferson, when a very young man, and mem
 Der of the stock company of the old Marshall theater here boarded there land long occupied room on the
 second floor at the corner of Ninth and
 Broad. Upon visit to this city some years ago he drove to the tavern, sit | ting in his carriage, pointed out to the
 Richmond friend who occupied seat
 by his side the room which had been l his.
 l Edgar Allan Poe was a frequenter of the Swain, and was i'll there for two weeks during his last visit to Rich
 mond. This was shortly before his 1death, which occurred in Baltimore, land pr. Rawlins was his attending physician.
 1 The depot of the Fredericksburg rail-
 road was for a long time at the north west corner of Broad and Eighth |streets, and that must have been of much advantage to the Swans busi- mess.
 1 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 fair share of the patron
 age of distinguished men.
 II There is tradition that that was the
 case when Aaron Burr was on trial
 here GSO7) before Chief Justice Marsh
 all and Judge Griffin. When the court i took a recess, learned counsel and
 others we imagine, sometimes ad-
 journeyed to the Swan, or to the Wash
 ington tavern Qate the St. Claire) to
 take drinks. We do not know whether
 the Powhatan house, now Ford's, was
 in existence then or not, but it may
 have been. If so, it appeared in di-
 minutive form, for it's present size is
 due to several enlargements that have
 been made from time to time-the
 greatest of which was made after it
 came into the hands of MT. Ford.
 IO.,{ ts.. AI-- sr-1