Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-05-13
THE RAMBLER
Things Seen
And Heard

MoHilo T. to Winthrop, the other day,
the Rambler noticed the removal II
that historic old landmark, the Old
Prescott Tavern. which for many
years was an object of interest to
tn. visitor. He could hardly recall
as to just where it used to stand on
that plateau, that reaches north from
Monmouth Academy, with it. view
across -,ary miles Of unGulatinS
meadow and woodland to the blue
outline of the White mountains i'll the
distance. and restored to making in
quiries o. people rear the Academy.
Where this old relic of coaching days
once was an interesting shrine for
! the antiquarian inclined, there today
stands a modern hous". But to the
7 Rambler's '~ind the spirit of the "O.d
Fort" still haunts tn" vicinity, and
as he stood in the turn of the old
stone wall, he visualzed again, the
great square house with it's massive
| browning chimney and hip roof. and
4, recalled the stories of tic gatherings,
solemn and otherwise. which We're re-
counted to him on a previous Wis.,,
the establishment of old Monmouth
\ ldemy.
The {; m was built by Capt. Sew
| all Prescott in 1901, and the summer
following it's building it received a
christening that immortalzed it. The
proceedings of the second New Eng
! land Methodist conference held in
Maine, were conducted here by tic
prison bishops, Francis A:'"ry He
sat in the upper hall at the d of
| a group of Methodist circuit riders.
while outside the doo:c there was
gathered to hear the learned discourse
! from his venerable lips, a congrega-
ton supposed to represent one sixth
of an the Methodists in New England.
For over a score of years the old
Tavern stood untenanted. ghostly
sentinel Of historic days, the front
| door ajar, and sightseers came md
went at will. With the aid and
promptings of the "old resiI 1T" the
| Rambler pictured again the inter r
| ARA gements. Entering through the
| side entrance, where the troops from
! the nearby muster field were march,
ed in double file. one came from the
old taproom. where they flooded the
(, dry dust from their Threats with
| Capt Prescott's "West India and mo-
lasses." These doors were double,
suggestive Of the grea puncheons
that were rolled in this way.
There were two large front rooms,
finished with jointless pine dadoes
two feet high and massive fireplaces
with long nantes, to the right door
opened into another great room, fin
ished like these in broad wainscots
and deep recessed WINDOW seats. To
the left was the hall >of olden time
where the swain and frolicsome dam
sells of a century ago used to meet to
trip the light fantastic. 1t was in this
room that Francis Asbury presided at
the head of the handful Of circuit
riders, and here, too, was the real
center of activities for the scattered
settlers. And on winter evenings they
would gather to hear the latest news
from the stage drivers; and when
Prescott's Tavern became the board
ing place Of Monmouth Academy stu
dents. this was the training forum for
many who have since won laurels in
the political arena.
This great room had bench seats
running the full length of three of
the walls OF the apartment, and above
them the walls were frescoed with
spectacular landscapes. The Rambler
remembers that. though of late years
much of the clustering was cracked
and broken in places. the paintings
were still in remarkably fine condi-
ton. and many visitors were well re-
paid for tarrying to examine this old
tavern.
When the present holder Of this
property was planning to build on the
site, an agitation was started to move
the old building in sections to q To-
cation in Monmouth village. in an en-
deavor to preserve it's Colonial fittings
and associations. But it was found
to be impractical and the old tavern
was RACED.
There are many who miss the old
landmark because of the things it
typiffed in the life and history o. the
community; and many others who