Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-05
TABLET UNVEILED ON
SITE OF BELL TAVERN
Marks Famous Recruiting Ground
During Second War With
Great Britain.
GOVERNOR MAKES ADDREs,
Recalls Incidents Of Riclmond's Con-
nection With War OF 1S12-Mrs.
q. w. 7. Kern Presides, and Mayor
Atnslie Accepts Tablet for City.

Simple. but impressive ceremonies
marked the unwilling of tablet yes
terday on the site of the old Bell Tav-
ern. which stood on the northeast cor
ner of Fifteenth and Main Streets. The
| memorial was erected by the Dorothea
Payne Madison Chapter, National So
ciety United States Daughters of 1912.
The tablet is inserted in tho retaining
wall adjoining the Chesapeake and
| Ohio Railway Station.
Governor Henry Carter Stuart was
the principal speaker at the unwilling.
| Long before $3.50 o'clock, the hour set
| Tor the ceremonial. n crowd of curious
people had gathered around, and this
was augmented later by tho arrival of
/ the members OF the local chapter dele
! State president of the society, Mrs
Charles c. Gibson, of Washington. and
other guests. Boy Scouts were present
| In uniform
The Governor spoke briefly. touch
| ing mainly upon the historic old tavern
Bell Tavern. lie said, was used as
! recruiting station during the War Of
| 1877. 1t was one-story wooden
house built in tho shape of an H."
standing on six-foot embankment,
and reached by n flight of steps. The
elevation, however, did not guard the
tavern from flood, because the james
! rose higher In those days and often
submerged the street.
Governor Stuart quoted an instance
mentioned by Mordecai, one of the ear
lest of local historians, who told of
man who actually padded into the
tavern in a canoe. The old Bell Tav-
ern, he said, was the property of Ma
than Bell, n Quaker, who leased the
enterprise. living himself in Hanover
county. 1t was the political centre Of
the city for years. as the Swami Tav-
ern was the social centre After the
war tho tavern was known as
Bowlers. then the City Hotel, and still
later as the st. Charles.
CONNECTION OF CITY
WITH WAR OF 1871"
| The Governor then told of the con-
nection of this city with the War Of
| 1917, and the part taken by Virginians
at Craney Island and Norfolk 1t was
during this time that the tavern was
used to recruit troops to go to the de-
Tense of the threatened parts of the
state.
The tablet was presented to the city
on behalf Of the society by Mrs Leroy
Brown, and was received by Mayor
George Ainslie. Miss Anne Faulkner
Johnson, daughter of Rev. and Mrs
| Thomas Cary johnson, and great
granddaughter OF Major James Faux
ner and John Crutchfield Goddin son
OF Mr.. and Mrs. a. L. Goddin. and de-
scendant of Major Crutchicld, did the
unwilling. Rev. j. Calvin Stewart, D.
|
Rev. j. Yates bowman The bencdic-
, ton. Mrs. c. Y. w. Kern presided.
and introduced the Governor.
After the unwilling Il ycllowed in
denture, or lease OF the Bell Tavern
in the year 1907. and other interesting
documents. were exhibited by descend
ants Of Nathan Bell. The paper re-
cited the various terms under which
| the place was to be rented for pc
Rod of one year The rental WAS
| Sl,666.67 for that period. Eighteen
! feather beds then In the building were
not included i'm the lease. The parties
| to 1t were John Bell, executor of Ma
than Bell. and Robert and George Tur-
ner
| The committee in charge of the cerc-
| mony was composed of Mrs. c. r. w.
! Kern, Mrs. Leroy Brown. Mrs Thomas
;. Gocock and Mrs. j.. J. Taylor
The sites committee is composed OF
Miss katherine Evans and Mrs. II. S.
Kelley. The society expects to mark
| other sites in the near future