The Sawyer Tavern is a historic building at 63 Arch Street in

Keene, New Hampshire Keene is a city in, and the seat of Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 23,047 at the 2020 census, down from 23,409 at the 2010 census. Keene is home to Keene State College and Antioch University New England. I ...

. Probably built c. 1803–06, it was long a neighborhood landmark, serving as a tavern and then inn and restaurant for parts of the 19th and 20th centuries. The building is now in residential use. It 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 1980, and the

New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places The New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places (NHSRHP) is a register of historic places administered by the state of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. Buildings, districts, sites, landscapes (such as cem ...

in 2007.

Description and history

The Sawyer Tavern is located in western Keene, on the north side of Arch Street a short way west of Keene High School. It is a -story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof, two interior chimneys, and a clapboarded exterior. Its main facade is five bays wide, with a symmetrical arrangement of sash windows around the center entrance. The entrance is simply framed, with a four-light transom window above. Extending to the left of the main block is a long single-story ell, which historically housed the tavern's summer kitchen and some horse sheds. A smaller ell, possibly of older construction than the main block, extends to the rear. The interior retains a number of original features, including inside shutters on some windows, but the second-floor ballroom has been partitioned into bedrooms. This landmark building was built no later than 1803–06, and has a long record as a tavern and inn in West Keene. Although it is now filled with private residences, it served in both the 19th and 20th centuries as a tavern. It was built by Abraham Wheeler, Jr., a veteran of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, and was originally known by his name. His son-in-law Josiah Sawyer later took over the business, and it was subsequently run by his two

spinster ''Spinster'' is a term referring to an unmarried woman who is older than what is perceived as the prime age range during which women usually marry. It can also indicate that a woman is considered unlikely to ever marry. The term originally den ...

daughters. The building was used as a tavern until 1883, and was sold out of the family in 1922. It was then operated as a restaurant and tea room until 1950.

References

{{NRHP in Cheshire County, New Hampshire Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire Houses completed in 1803 Houses in Cheshire County, New Hampshire Buildings and structures in Keene, New Hampshire National Register of Historic Places in Cheshire County, New Hampshire New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places

Description and history

See also

References