Mosby Tavern, also called Old Cumberland Courthouse or Littleberry Mosby House, is a
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 v ...
building in
Powhatan County, Virginia
Powhatan County () is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,033. Its county seat is Powhatan.
Powhatan County is included in the Greater Richmond Region.
The James River forms the cou ...
. Located southeast of the intersection of
U.S. Route 60 and
State Route 629 in Powhatan County, Virginia, with a street address of 2625 Old Tavern Road, it began as a small one-room house built by Benjamin Mosby in 1740, and remains a private residence today.
Mosby Tavern was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 2003, and a monument was dedicated at the site on June 15, 2008.
History
Originally located in
Goochland County
Goochland County is a county located in the Piedmont of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its southern border is formed by the James River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,727. Its county seat is Goochland.
Goochland County is includ ...
, Mosby Tavern was in the western part of the county which became
Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to:
Australia
* Cumberland County, New South Wales
* the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia
Canada
*Cumberland County, Nova Scotia
United Kingdom
*Cumberland, historic county
*Cumberlan ...
in 1749. From the county's formation until the formation of
Powhatan County
Powhatan County () is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,033. Its county seat is Powhatan.
Powhatan County is included in the Greater Richmond Region.
The James River forms the cou ...
in 1777, Mosby Tavern served as the Cumberland County courthouse and jail, as well as being a
tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that h ...
and the private residence of the Mosby family. This, plus a popular racetrack across the road, made Mosby Tavern the center of the community. During the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
the tavern also served as a rendezvous for the county militia.
For at least 100 years from its construction, Mosby Tavern was used as a private residence by the Mosby family, owned by: Benjamin Mosby, who purchased the land and constructed the original building in 1740; Colonel Littleberry Mosby Sr (also spelled "Littlebury") (17??-1809?); General
Littleberry Mosby
Littleberry C. Mosby Jr. (January 28, 1757 – October 26, 1821) was an American military officer. During the American Revolutionary War, he served in the Continental Army as a captain (United States O-3), captain in the 2nd Georgia Regiment, ...
Jr (1757–1821), who was the third child, but the oldest living son at the time of his father's death, and who was so disappointed that many family members left the area that he made Littleberry III's inheritance conditional on the condition his return to Virginia; Edward Mosby, Littleberry Jr's younger brother, to whom Mosby Tavern passed when Littleberry III died in Tennessee without returning.
The tavern was also used as the Powhatan County courthouse and jail until 1779, when the county seat was moved to a newly constructed courthouse in
Scottville. After 1779 Mosby Tavern generally ceased to be used for public meetings, although the stature of the Mosby family in the area meant that even without official standing their home continued to play a major role in the social life of the area.
Murder at Mosby Tavern
On June 3, 1766, "pretty early in the morning," Colonel
John Chiswell
Colonel John Chiswell (occasionally spelled in the era, Chizzell, per its pronunciation) (ca. 1710 October 14, 1766), was a planter, land speculator, early industrialist and member of the Colonial House of Burgesses who in his final years cause ...
(pronounced Chis-ell), a member of the
Virginia House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia. With the creation of the House of Burgesses in 1642, the General Assembly, which had been established ...
, got into an argument with Robert Routledge, a merchant from
Prince Edward County, at Benjamin Mosby's Tavern. Both men were "much in liquor". According to eyewitnesses, Colonel Chiswell, who was a
Loyalist
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...
, called Routledge "a
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
fellow, and a Scotish Rebel." After these insults, Routledge, threw a glass of wine at Chiswell. At this challenge, Chiswell retaliated a threw a "bowl of
Bumbo
Bumbu (also known as bumbo or bumboo) is a drink made from rum, water, sugar, and nutmeg. Cinnamon is sometimes substituted for or added to the nutmeg. Modern bumbo is often made with dark rum, citrus juice, grenadine, and nutmeg.
A related drink ...
" at Routledge, followed by a candlestick and a pair fire tongs. Routledge then grabbed a chair intending to strike Chiswell with it. Chiswell then angrily called on his slave for his sword and demanded that Mr. Routledge leave the room. Joseph Carrington, the son-in-law of tavern owner Benjamin Mosby, took hold of Routledge and began to try and escort him out of the room when Routledge suddenly turned toward Chiswell and repeated the word "Fellow?" Chiswell stepped forward and thrust his sword at Routledge. Stabbed in the heart Routledge sank down in Carrington's arms dead.
The ensuing scandal intensified when Chiswell received special treatment.
William Byrd, III, of
Westover, was a justice of the General Court at Williamsburg and Chiswell's business partner in the lead mining operation. Byrd, along with fellow justices
John Blair, Sr.
John Blair (c. 1687 – November 5, 1771) was a merchant and politician of the colony of Virginia. He served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly. As a member of the House of Burgesses, he initially represented Jamestown then Willi ...
, and
Presley Thornton
Presley Thornton (1721 – December 8, 1769) was a planter and public official in Colonial Virginia. Thornton was a member of the House of Burgesses for Northumberland County from 1748 to 1749 and 1752 to 1761. He was the great-grandson of Willi ...
permitted Chiswell to post a small
bail
Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Bail is the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when required.
In some countries ...
of £2,000. In the 18th century bail for the crime of murder was unheard of.
The murder of Robert Routledge at the hands of John Chiswell unfolded following revelations that Chiswell's late son-in-law,
John Robinson John Robinson may refer to:
Academics
*John Thomas Romney Robinson (1792–1882), Irish astronomer and physicist
* John J. Robinson (1918–1996), historian and author of ''Born in Blood''
*John Talbot Robinson (1923–2001), paleontologist
*John ...
, Speaker of the House and Treasurer of Virginia, was the subject of a scandal regarding the misappropriation of public funds. Robinson had died a few months before in May 1766 and the subsequent investigation revealed that his estate owed the Colony of Virginia over £1,000,000.
On October 15, 1766, just before the start of his trial, John Chiswell was found dead on the floor of his home, the Chiswell-Bucktrout House in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is believed that he committed suicide on October 14 although the coroner stated that “the cause of his death ..., on oath, were nervous fits, owing to a constant uneasiness of mind,”.
The
Virginia Gazette
''The Virginia Gazette'' is the local newspaper of Williamsburg, Virginia. Established in 1930, it is named for the historical ''Virginia Gazette'' published between 1736 and 1780. It is published twice a week in the broadsheet format.
Historical ...
published a detailed account of the murder which included a diagram of the crime scene. This document is thought to be the first crime scene diagram in America.
Architecture
Mosby Tavern began as a small one-room house built by Benjamin Mosby in 1740. By the time Benjamin's grandson,
Littleberry Mosby Jr, owned it in the early nineteenth century it was a one-story,
hall-parlor plan
A hall-and-parlor house is a type of vernacular house found in early-modern to 19th century England, as well as in colonial North America. frame dwelling shown on early nineteenth century insurance policies as 34' by 28'. According to tax records, the property value increased substantially in 1849 and 1859, and it is likely that most of the major additions were made during that time, expanding the house to a center hall-plan, two-story frame building with single-story wings. A two-story rear addition was constructed around 1950, and a rear porch was added in 1988, bringing the house to its present form.
[NRHP listing. "The Hatcher family added the two-story rear addition around 1950 and the present owners extended the east side of the addition and added the rear porch shortly after they purchased the property in 1988."]
Notes
References
*
*
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 v ...
, Mosby Tavern listing dated April 11, 2003.
*
*
{{National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
Government buildings completed in 1740
Buildings and structures in Powhatan County, Virginia
Hall and parlor houses
County courthouses in Virginia
Federal architecture in Virginia
Taverns in Virginia
Taverns in the American Revolution
Jails in Virginia
Drinking establishments on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
National Register of Historic Places in Powhatan County, Virginia
1740 establishments in Virginia