The Mixer Tavern is a historic tavern, now a private residence, at 14 Westford Road in
Ashford, Connecticut
Ashford is a New England town, town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of the Connecticut Quiet Corner. The population was 4,191 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It was founded in 1714. Eastford, Connecticut, Ea ...
. Portions of the building date to 1710, making it one of Ashford's oldest buildings. It is also distinctive for its well-preserved tavern features, and its long history (into the 20th century) as a traveler's accommodation and local meeting point. The building was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1994.
Description and history
The Mixer Tavern is located near what is now the village center of Ashford, at the northeast corner of Westford Road and Pompey Hollow Road (
United States Route 44
U.S. Route 44 (US 44) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that runs for through four states in the Northeastern United States. The western terminus is at US 209 and New York State Route 55 (NY 55) in Kerhonkso ...
). It is oriented facing south toward Pompey Hollow Road behind a thick screen of trees. It is a -story wood-frame structure, five bays wide, with a side-gable roof and center chimney. Additions extend the size an additional two bays to the west, and also to the rear. The interior is based on a typical Georgian center chimney plan, except the right side has a small chamber behind the front parlor space, from which it is separated by a half-wall with a folding door. The left front parlor space has particularly fine woodwork in the fireplace surround. The kitchen space at the rear provides access to a distinctive walk-in storage vault that is built into the chimney. This feature is an enlarged version of storage spaces sometimes seen in older chimneys, a clear indication of the building's early use as a tavern.
[
The oldest portions of the building are traditionally dated to 1710, when John Mixer purchased the property (then , now just 13), and applied for a license to operate a tavern. In addition to its well-preserved vernacular 18th-century architecture (including rarely-preserved tavern features), it is the only known tavern to operate in what is now Ashford for many years, and continued in that role into the early 20th century. It underwent a significant restoration effort in the 1920s.]
See also
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References
{{National Register of Historic Places
Ashford, Connecticut
Drinking establishments on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Commercial buildings completed in 1710
Taverns in Connecticut
Buildings and structures in Windham County, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Windham County, Connecticut
1710 establishments in Connecticut