The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-08-05
HISTORIC
MYSTERY
Old Harmon Tavern in West
Part of Town.
AN EMIGRANT STATION
In the Old Days When People
We're Coming Here
to Settle.
AN EMIGRANT STATION

Editor of the Banner: The pictured
representation of the old Harmon
Hotel in the admirable Souvenir of
Bennington, recently issued by Mel
vim II. Robinson, has given an added
zest for the study of the history of the
old structure, which has stood in the
western part o. Bennington for over
l30 years.
No other very old building in Ben
nington has changed so little in out
ward appearance for it is now just as
it was in colonial days save for the
natural wear and tear by the elements.
The structure, however, is fast going to
ruin, especially in the interior and the
roof has been in bad condition for
several years and the rain is rapidly
destroying the ceilings and floors. The
tavern was one of the preteutious build
ings Of the town in early times The
doors were handsome and substantial
ones for those days; holdings we're on
several rooms and the winding stair
case was beyond the ordinary. With
in few weeks the relic hunters have
been at work and pieces of the build
ing have been taken away in abun-
dance.
The Harmon Hotel seems to have a
very meagre history. No one seems
to know but little about it. In fact,
it was not until after the Souvenir was
issued that few people in Bennington
knew of the existen of the old build
ing. When was the hotel built? The
late Rev Fiske Harmon, decendent
of Capt Daniel Harmon, thought it
was erected about 1913.
In jennings Memorials of a Gen.
tury," page 65, Samuel Fay, who was
five years old the day of the battle of
Bennington, is recorded as having
told the late George w. Robinson,
that several hotels in the town of Ben
nington were in apparently success
full operation at that time. Among
the number mentioned is the Harmon
Hotel, kept by Dauioi Harmon, now
the old yellow building west of Henry
Bakers residence" 7"
The patronage of the hotels of those
days was largely by people emigrat-
ing from Massachusetts and Con-
necticut to Vermont and New Hamp- |
shire. But the location of the old |
Harmon Hotel was off the main routes |
of travel and it could notcompete sue
cessfully with its rivals more convent
emily located. Finally, the patronage |
of the old tavern dwindled to almost !
and II ceased to do business in
l7g4.
The Harmon Hotel, however, has
the distinction of having had Gen
John Stark, the here % the old French
and Indian wars, as guest. 1t is
claimed he took breakfast there on the
of the Bennington battle,
August 10th, 1777. But that could
hardly have been the fact for the gen.
sral had moved close to the battlefield
on the day of the 14th, and 1t was pro-
baby at that time that he dined at the
inn.
Capt Daniel Harmon, the first and
only landlord Of the old tavern, was
in Capt Elijah Dewey's com.
Dany at the battle of Bennington, but
It is not known that he particularly
himself on that occasion.
he was captain of a troop of horse, or
cavalry company in the .Swn. He was
4 tall, broad-shouldered man, with
lark eyes and jet black hair. He gen.
srally wore long black cloak lined
With red, and when seated an a spirit
ID horse he had decidedly disting-
iished and military air.
1t was the practice in those days for
he different companies in the town to
nave encounters with each other, one
)eing dressed as Indians. Harmon's
was so well drilled in shift
ng their position and mode of attack
rs the Indians issued from their am
,uscade and begun the ARRAY that the