The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-11-16
Widow In Claremont Keeps
It-Suggested Foch Should
Ride In 1t

CLAREAIONT, n. H., Nov, 1G.-In n
barn in the confines of this town is the
| identical chaise-On the authority of the
woman owner-in which Marquis La
! fayette was driven from Claremont to
Windsor, VI. when he visited this section
| century ago. 1t had been carefully
guarded by its successive owners of the
same family in the past century, and is
/ stiu capable of being used ON the road.
The suggestion has been made that
| FCeh, if he came TO New Hampshire. be
rendered Il ride i'm the carriage in which
| Lafayette rode Ii is true that the yehi-
| Gle is antique, but il is aS sound as a bull
| let, and in it, day was considered one
| of the most splendid carriages anywhere
| in New England. for nothing was too
good for the French marquis when he
toured this section earlyi in the last cen
tury.
The chaisc is the property of Mrs. Luz
cretia Jarvis. widow Of Russell Jarvis of
Jarvis hill, West Claremont. Mrs Jar
Wis said that DIR. Leonard Jarvis back
in 1906, was III aud was looking for
place to live that would be beneficial to
his health. While on his way TO Rutland,
| VT, he passed the Jarvis house aud was
much taken with its architecture and
>ighthneSs and upon his return trip.
which was on horseback, he stopped and
lc&tHtd tiidl ttttN property Is dS OWiltu D4
Judge kingSbury. lie purchased the
place and the next spring saw his house
held effects and family on tAe road from
Boston to his new home in CiaremOnt.
Russell Jarvis. third son of DIR. Leon
ard Jarvis and husband of Mrs. Lucre-
tia Jarvis, was the last TO conduct the
| large farm here Of 500 acres Since
! 600 acres, the other acres having been
sold and the 1000 acres are but partially
! cultivated.
The old colonial designed house is re-
! plete from cellar 10 garnet with furniture
and bric-a-brac that would make the eyes
| of an antique dealer bulge, There is
/ hardly a modern article of furniture uH-
der the roof. Even the original hand
stamped paper adOrns the north parlor.
/ A Unique Vehicle
The chaise is as odd and antique as
one could ask for The wheels are as
strongly built as those of dray of today.
| The body is hung In a peculiar way and
sets almost above the wheels. having three
steps. The body is made of basket work
and the top covered with heavy canvass.
The interior is upholstered in a fine
/ quality Of twill cretonne OF ecru shade.
The top edge is scaHoped with fringe.
| The side and back openings have also
| a curtain of heavy canvas for protection
/ from rain. 1t was considered one of the
/
| In the barn there is another vehicle
| known as a family coach and it is just
a. much an antique a. the chaise and is
said to be the only one of its kind in ex-
| iStence with the exception of one owned
/ by the Governor Hancock estate of Bos-
| ton.
Both the chaise and the coach were
| used in Boston, for the original farm
of DIR. Leonard Jarvis, when a resident of
I Boston, was in what IS now the heart of
| the city. his cornfeld being on the olS-
Test part of Beacon street
! Mrs. Lucretia Jarvis, present owner of
! the chaise, is willing that the chaise be
| taken to any place in New England for
the purpose of honoring Marshal Foch.
How Lafayette Used II
This is how it happened that the chaise
was used by the French hero of the Revo-
! Hutton. when he visited Claremont The
/ date of the visit itself is in dispute. 1t
was in 1923, or on June %. 1928
| When Lafayette reached Newport on
| his trip north through New Hampshire,
| the citizens entertained him in the build
| ing now occupied by the hasons and the
| poStofiice Claremont. TO do the right
| thing toward the distinguished planned
to meet him Mt the halfway house at
| Chambers Mills.
/ The people held a meeting and il was
| planned to take q band, get up a caval-
cade and escort him into town. DIR.
Joseph Richards started at the head of
/ 10 men on horseback and mounted band
for Chambers Mills, where it was ex.