About the year 1834 Captain John Smith "put up folks" in his house, which stood at the corner of King Street and the road leading up to Meeting House Hill. Capt. Smith's tavern furnished food, and lodging for drovers and pedestrians. His quarters being small, he did not continue in business for many years. Andrew Bridgham followed after Smith, also serving the public for a brief time. The house was at one time a parsonage for early pastors of the nearby church, and a residence for Green, Stanhope, and Boyce families. John and Mary Clark Green occupied the tavern from 1846 until 1854, during which time he maintained a tailor shop near Gardner's Store on the Dennys River. Shortly after the death of Nelson Boyce in 1911, in anticipation of building the Lincoln Memorial Library, the house was moved by the Pushee Brothers from its original site to a new location on King Street opposite the Thomas Eastman property. For many years it was the home of the Munson family, and more recently has been occupied by the family of Walter Speer.

Contemporary Photographs of the Dennys River AreaPhotos for Map

Captain John Smith's tavern on Meetinghouse Hill