Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-10-17
|NNS AND COFFEE
HOUSES FAMOUS
IN OLD RICHMOND
,1any Distinguished Visi-
tors Were Guests of
Hostelries.
.OWNSPEOPLE GATHERED
ROUND 0PEN-FIRE PLACES
lafayette, Edward VII, Zach
airy Taylor and Jenny Lind
Notable Guests.
ny VERA PALMER.

iti restaurants. caicteriaS, inns
nd baking shops opening on every
and until. In the downtown section.
ne !s necessarily az close To an eat
Ing house a. "a the evcr-prosent
cvert to the old days. when. since
h0rtly after the founding Of the
!ty: hotels and other places where
ood was served contributed largely
Uo the social and political life OF
Richmond. That 'those by-gone hos
cries catered not only TO the body.
ut also 10 the mind and spirit. Is
nh cat ted by the Importance In
ci"nt service" was then an unknown
erm and the success Of "A landlord
epeFndeh not solely upon the tab.
set. but also on the wit and wis
ng OF the feasts.
Earliest OF these taverns was the
!Ird- In Hand at Twenty NTH AMI
lain Streets. Just at the bottom OF
- glory i was. KEEP. by "old Bur.
css and his wife. round and rosy"
nd doubtless they dispensed all the
elicacics for which Richmond has
the infant republic. Thxre ls no
"cord. however, that epoch making
vents took place within it's walls. for
ne place was not large. either in
n" Old house Is yet treasured by a
ocal man who watched II demolished
Then came the City Tavern. at
Ehich man named Raphacl acted
mine host for AN extended Pc
iod and is described by one histo-
AN as being ia; and lazy There
story to the effect that George
Washington stopped there, but "A gen
eman who Is now writing com
,iei. and comprehensive history OF
richmond declared that this is a
aliacy as THE Father or Ills Coun-
ONE ne would have been entertain
~; they would never have permit
ca MN 10 stay at a public inn. Then.
90, the records show the master or
iount vernon To have been In this
y only three or four times.
rms tavern was built by Gabriel
'ait ana WAS located At Nineteenth
meeession The un ftsI nss,G aIns In IN
iell, and the Anderson. Hotel men
tho old days seem truly TO have
,In,. that The proof Of the .pud.
hem are declared TO have been rud-
~ o.! check and rotund OF form.
was true also OF Casper Flclsher
iestinles OF the Rising Sun. which
lhone for number OF years near
Fourteenth and what was then Ex-
mango Alley and who served beer
&rhcn II was general and genteel''
beverage.
Coffee Houses Spring Up.
In the early ninotcenth centurv cot
-, houses ScGa:. - come into vogue
~. or course. the city on the lanes
Followed the fashion. one OF the bet
80 Known being Mrs. Gilnerrs COT.
r., Rouse on lover a:ain Stree. THIS
| ,as 40 mere icailns place. but was
rniE what its name implied for tea.
Office and chocolate We're servc,i
ere. ~ the winter tn, guests
End discussed politics and the local
l'cwS OF the day much In the manner
|ot men now when gathered Ia con
|gehial groups about n red-hot stove
Windows were thrown wide and cool
Fms drinks probably were served. Tho
place litter became tho, Union Hotel
declared ny the untir!ns historian,
VINO mas been my invaluable aid, 10
nave becn more fashionable than tia
JIG acrnon Is today.
i, was in. 1883 tina. grand b.II
was given at the Union as part OF the
lirst public n S.o celebration of the birth
years later the Virginia LeEislature
gave q dinner there in honor of tho
|Narquis dc Lafayette on January rs
s2h The distinguished Frenchnan
WAS in Richmond for the last TINE
and was given round OF entertuim.
iIent suflicien; TO satisfy and also
fatigue modern celebrity.
Two years later john ,:ylcr then
newly elected 10 toe Cr'tc,l States
Senate, defeating John Randolph. Of
|Roanokc. was guest of honor at q dim
ncr At the Union where Quarter or
a century after was TO be the scene
Of grand pa. pail given for President
Mexican War. He was in Richmond
for the laying of the conversions OF
the CRAWFORD statue of Washington
IN the Capitol Square, on which oc-
tasion he was orator. 1t was also the
first home Of the Medical ColleEe Of
Virginia.
Just about the time tina. al,
Europe was stirred by the Napoleonic
wars and the shadows Of Waterloo
:ere beginning 10 spread over the
heretofore triumphant pathway Of
The Little Corsican. the news of tGosc
struggles was talked over at l.yuch's
Coffee House, where. as one S.iron-
icler puts II. 'all the news, foreign
and domestic. rumors true and false,
scandal and tittle-tattle centereI and
III each corner round which 1t cir
|.ulated. Hero windy takers would
blow their bellows. and tedious ones
tire their listeners; but here also.
men Of note might be listened to. and
ID lions"
Landlord Rends Paper Aloud.
TO peru,ssSG, the papers In this room
was diftieuit task but notwith-
|garded as an ideal place in which 10
beet the persons one wanted to sea-.
II was Lynch who would take me
|,apcrs as soon as they arrived ana
Tread .aloud all the major events that
his guetss might suffer no delay. In
he war with Great Britain, when
General Scott was on the Canadian
border. the host read In tones for ali
o hear the army is in status quo"
"Indccd!" sal done OF tho listeners.
|'how far is that from Montreal?" On
|,nother occasion he announced Con
|;ress is TO he called together in
|,tanter,' Dear met" replied
carer. ".are, they afraid to meet in
One cannot leave this neishborhood
Without stopping for moment, nj
Feast. at the Eagle. which was located
in Main, below Twelfth Street, and
|'uilt in 1898. Aaron Burr was there
IN 1907. the year of his trial. and two
ears later public dinner was given
IN the famous hostelry to Thomas
efferson. who was an unexpected
1t happened that October 10. OF that
ear. carriage stopped Mt the Swan
Tavern. that celebrated place on tho
orth side OF Broad Street, bet ween
Eighteenth and Nineteenth Streets.
Is occupant got out and went into
] Continued on Second Page,J