St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-09-29
The Old HAYES Homestead.
Home of Presidents Grandfather Contains
Many Relics.


The old HAYES homestead in Brattle-
boro was built about 1890 by Ruther-
ford Hayes, grandfather of President
HAYES, who came from New Haven.
Conn, in 177S and located in West
Brattleboro in the house where Mrs.
Myron Thurber now lives.
Upon its completion the house was
first occupied as dwelling, but in 1896
it was converted into a tavern and be-
came favorite stopping place TOR
teamsters, stagemen and Others.
The license to Rutherford Hayes by the
honorable county court to keep tavern
or house of public entertainment, issued
in 1896 by Richard Whitney, clerk, is in
the possession of Mrs. Bigelow, but the
oldest document of all of those which
she holds is the deed to the land upon
which the tavern was built from Israel
Smith in 1888.
Israel Smith was a lieutenant in the
Revolutionary war, and he married a
daughter of the original Rutherford
HAYES. His work in and about the con-
fines of Brattleboro forms hist ory in
itself.
Another interesting paper kept by
Mrs. Bigelow is that which gave Mr.
Hayes the privilege Ito shut up the road
leading by his house from the pond to
the village" on account of the turnpike
road having been put in on the other
side of the tavern. This road is still in
existence and in excellent repair, it being
the road running between Brattleboro,
West Brattleboro and the town of MARI
boro. The document was signed by
Selectmen Waitstill Cross, Jabez Wood
and Joseph Clark
A certificate to keep carriage, issued
by 6. Dennison, collector for the second
district of Vermont, as long ago as when
a carriage was an innovation and lux
ury is still well preserved and shows
that for the privilege of owning "a two
wheel carriage called chaise and a
harness used therefor" Mr.. Hayes paid
81, this certificate to be of no avail any
longer than the aforesaid carriage shall
be owned by the said R. Hayes"
The Hayes family were scrupulous in
their observation of Sunday and in all
which pertained to Sunday, their obser-
walton beginning Saturday night, as is
shown by one of the inscriptions on one
of the invitations sent out for a card
party at r. Hayes hall on Saturday.
July 5, 1907, the bearer being entitled to
entertainment from 90 p. m. until sum
setting.
The old swinging tavern sign was dis
covered few years ago under the attic
caves. 1t is about four feet high by
about two feet wide and bears on either
side the inscription "R. Hayes, Enter
tainment," with a painted picture OF a
jockey in yellow holding spirited black
steed whose proportions are grotesque
in the extreme.
This sign was originally bought at
auction and bears the date 1875, but
this is barely discernibe, as it was al
most obliterated when later date was
painted over it.
Various articles of furniture with
which the old house was furnished are
still in existence, and are for the most
part in excellent condition.
Among the other relics owned by Mrs.
Bigelow and kept in the house, although
not Hayes relic, is pewter platter
eighteen inches in diameter and about
200 years old. Its first known possessor
was Mrs Bigelow's great.great-gr grand
father, Colonel Seth Pomeroy, who
fought in the French and Indian war
and who was brigadier general in the
War of the Revolution.