The Mount Holly news., 1919-04-29


Dwellers in Town, who, resorting to
Public-houses, spent their Time in
drinking and vain Sports, tending
to corrupt one another; on which Ac
count was much troubled. AT one
House, in particular, there was much
Disorder; and l believed it Duty in
cumbent on me to go and speak to the
Master of that House. / considered
that l was young, and that several
elderly Friends in town had Opportun-
ity to see these Things, but though |
would gladly have been excused, vet /
could not feel my Mind clear" At
length, after much trouble of mind,
the gentle Quaker went to the public
house, called the proprietor aside, and
told his trouble. He writes that
the innkeeper ''took it kindly, and
afterward showed more regard to me
than before -
THE MILL STREET HOTEL
The logical site for the first inn in
Bridgetown was near the mills, and
the present Mill street hotel, while
perhaps not the first tavern erected.
antedates all the other hotel buildings
in Mouat Holly by many years. 1t
was probably built soon after the race
way was dug-about 1720-and it
has been in continuous. use as a hotel
since It's erection. Samuel Brian was
its owner prior to 1877, as in that year
he sold the property to John Ogburn,
possibly former tenant, as we find
Ogburn appearing as an innkeeper in
l735-two years before the purchase
1t is interesting to speculate upon the
scenes and changes the old hotel has
witnessed. Perhaps it was the very
one of which John Woolman spoke to
its keeper, after witnessing the disor-
der there as he passed daily to his
shop, only few yards away. And it
may again appear in his famous journ.
al, where it is written:
The latter part of the Summer,
1863, there came Man to Mount Holly,
who had before published, by printed
Advertisement, that at a certain Pub
lick-house he would shew many won
derful Operations, which he therein
enumerated.
This Man, at the Time appointed,
aid, by slight of Hand, sundry Things;
when, to those gathered, appeared
strange.
The next day, /, hearing of it, and
understanding that the Shew was to
be continued the next Night, and the
People to meet about Sunset, felt an
Exercise on that Account: So | went
to the Publick-house in the Evening,
and told the Man of the House that l
had an Inclination to spend Part of
the Evening there; with which he
signified that he was content. Then,
sitting down by the Door, | spake to
the People as they came together, con-
cerning this Shew; and, more coming
sitting down with us, the Seats at the
Door were mostly 6Iled; and l had
Conversation with them in the Fear of
the Lord, and laboured to convince
them that, thus assembling to see
those Tricks or Slight of Hand, and
bestowing their Money to support Men,
who, in that Capacity, were of no Use
in the World, was contrary to the
Nature of the Christian Religion.
There was one of the Company, who,
for Time, endeavoured, by Argu-
ments, to shew the Reasonableness of
their Proceedings harin; but, after con-
sidering some Texts of Scripture, and
calmly debating the Matter, he gave
up the Point. So, having spent an
Hour amongst them, and feeling my
Mind easy, | departed.
Can you imagine any one trying to
break up moving picture show to.
day by arguing with the people as
they enter the door
In many respects the Mill street
hotel is one OF the most interesting
buildings in Mount Holly, although
little attention has heretofore been
paid to its history. Its old walls have
heard the tramp of Sir Henry Clinton's
redcoats, and perhaps echoed to John
| Woolman's voice. Handbills giving
notice of runaway slaves were posted
in its tap room, and such traffic al
Bridgetown had passed up and dowr
the mill-road before its door. The
architecture of the building follows the
usual style OF Colonial inns. Brad
docks hotel at Medford, and the for
mer Washington House are other ex
amples. The masonry is very inter
esting. Large blocks of hard grey
stone, which was also used in th
foundation of the grist mill, togethe
with Jersey sandstone, have beel
crudely bound together with mortar
no attempt being made to Secure
! smooth surface. This is especial,
noticeable on the vestern end. Th
, outer walls are from IL to "A inche
thick, and the building is divide
: ongitudinally by another wall, ot
similar thickness, pierced by archie
doorways. The interior was modern
lied by landlord Parker, who tore ou
the old fireplaces. The partitions wei
then of wood, and did not extend
the ceiling, an open space being lei
above them. In some places close
have been made in the thick wall
: and the rear cellar has three lara
J. arched vaults in which were placed IL
+ huge casks that perhaps gave Il
! place its one time name of the Thre
TunS.
{. sThe ownership of the tavern change
in 174S, when Ogburn sold it to Josia
White, who was a minister of th
. Society of Friends, and large lar
owner. 1t is hard to believe that Viii
). engaged in tavern keeping, but /
undoubtedly owned the inn, and pc
haps kept store in one end of Il
r building, renting the tavern part. Dr
ing the British occupation OF the TOW
n Hessian soldiers were quartered in t
!. property adjoining the inn on the ea'
and White is said to have attended
srr their sick. The present hotel sho
the marks Of an extension on the we.
ern end, which was torn down. Geor
$. West is said to have kept a store the
"a Ho yever, White continued to hold t
property, and in 1851 we find it knoN