Keeler Tavern
Encyclopedia
The Keeler Tavern is an 18th-century historical building in Ridgefield, Connecticut
, United States. The property served as summer home to architect Cass Gilbert
, who purchased it in 1907 and designed additions to the building as well as a garden.
It is also significant for the part it played in the Ridgefield action when British forces passed through, in 1777. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982 and is operated as the Keeler Tavern Museum. It is also included in the Ridgefield Center Historic District
, NRHP-listed in 1984.
Around the year 1713, Benjamin Hoyt built the initial structure of the tavern as a home for himself and his family. More than 50 years later, in 1769, the property was purchased by Hoyt's grandson, Timothy Keeler, from his uncle David. Timothy Keeler and his wife Ester converted the building into an inn
in 1772, just prior to the beginning of the American Revolutionary War
.
The original sign of the inn featured a portrait of King George III of the United Kingdom
, which was subsequently painted over with a depiction of a horseman as Timothy Keeler sided with the American revolutionaries
. During the Battle of Ridgefield
on April 27, 1777, British
forces fired on the tavern, because they had learned that the basement of the building was used for making musket balls. One of the British cannonball
s lodged itself into a corner post of the building where it has remained stuck ever since.
, the youngest brother of Napoleon
who stayed there with his wife Elizabeth Patterson
during their honeymoon.
In 1815, William Keeler inherited the tavern and post office from his father and operated the inn together with his sister Anna as the "W. Keeler's Hotel" until his death in 1827. After his death, his cousin Thaddeus Keeler took over the office of postmaster keeping the post office in the Keeler tavern. When Anna Keeler married Abijah Resseguie in 1829, the hotel was renamed into the "Resseguie Hotel". Anna Keeler and Abijah Resseguie had a single child, Anna Marie, who was born in 1830. After his wife's death in 1862, Abijah Resseguie continued to operate the hotel assisted by Phillis Dubois, a free black woman.
Cass Gilbert
, the celebrated architect, purchased the property from Anna Marie and turned it into his family's summer home in 1907. In doing so, he made various improvements and additions to the building, in particular he designed a Garden House and added a "Charleston Garden" around the year 1910.
The garden is a sunken garden arranged around a reflecting pool with a cherub
fountain; it is surrounded by brick walls and arches. When Gilbert's daughter Emily sold the home in 1957, local residents, who wished to preserve the property as an historical landmark, formed a society for its preservation (the Keeler Tavern Preservation Society, Inc.). The society purchased the property in 1965 and opened it as a museum in the next year.
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...
, United States. The property served as summer home to architect Cass Gilbert
Cass Gilbert
- Historical impact :Gilbert is considered a skyscraper pioneer; when designing the Woolworth Building he moved into unproven ground — though he certainly was aware of the ground-breaking work done by Chicago architects on skyscrapers and once discussed merging firms with the legendary Daniel...
, who purchased it in 1907 and designed additions to the building as well as a garden.
It is also significant for the part it played in the Ridgefield action when British forces passed through, in 1777. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982 and is operated as the Keeler Tavern Museum. It is also included in the Ridgefield Center Historic District
Ridgefield Center Historic District
The Ridgefield Center Historic District is part of the town of Ridgefield, Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984....
, NRHP-listed in 1984.
18th century
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
in 1772, just prior to the beginning of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
The original sign of the inn featured a portrait of King George III of the United Kingdom
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, which was subsequently painted over with a depiction of a horseman as Timothy Keeler sided with the American revolutionaries
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
. During the Battle of Ridgefield
Battle of Ridgefield
The Battle of Ridgefield was a battle and a series of skirmishes between American and British forces during the American Revolutionary War. The main battle was fought in the village of Ridgefield, Connecticut on April 27, 1777 and more skirmishing occurred the next day between Ridgefield and the...
on April 27, 1777, British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
forces fired on the tavern, because they had learned that the basement of the building was used for making musket balls. One of the British cannonball
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
s lodged itself into a corner post of the building where it has remained stuck ever since.
19th century
In addition to running the tavern, Timothy Keeler was appointed the third postmaster of Ridgefield in 1803 and operated his post office in the tavern. Among the more prominent guests of the tavern were Jérôme BonaparteJérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte, French Prince, King of Westphalia, 1st Prince of Montfort was the youngest brother of Napoleon, who made him king of Westphalia...
, the youngest brother of Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
who stayed there with his wife Elizabeth Patterson
Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte
Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte , known as "Betsy", was the daughter of a Baltimore, Maryland merchant, and was the first wife of Jérôme Bonaparte, and sister-in-law of Emperor Napoleon I of France.-Ancestry:Elizabeth's father, William Patterson, had been born in Ireland and came to North America...
during their honeymoon.
In 1815, William Keeler inherited the tavern and post office from his father and operated the inn together with his sister Anna as the "W. Keeler's Hotel" until his death in 1827. After his death, his cousin Thaddeus Keeler took over the office of postmaster keeping the post office in the Keeler tavern. When Anna Keeler married Abijah Resseguie in 1829, the hotel was renamed into the "Resseguie Hotel". Anna Keeler and Abijah Resseguie had a single child, Anna Marie, who was born in 1830. After his wife's death in 1862, Abijah Resseguie continued to operate the hotel assisted by Phillis Dubois, a free black woman.
20th century
Cass Gilbert
- Historical impact :Gilbert is considered a skyscraper pioneer; when designing the Woolworth Building he moved into unproven ground — though he certainly was aware of the ground-breaking work done by Chicago architects on skyscrapers and once discussed merging firms with the legendary Daniel...
, the celebrated architect, purchased the property from Anna Marie and turned it into his family's summer home in 1907. In doing so, he made various improvements and additions to the building, in particular he designed a Garden House and added a "Charleston Garden" around the year 1910.
The garden is a sunken garden arranged around a reflecting pool with a cherub
Cherub
A cherub is a type of spiritual being mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and cited later on in the Christian biblical canons, usually associated with the presence of God...
fountain; it is surrounded by brick walls and arches. When Gilbert's daughter Emily sold the home in 1957, local residents, who wished to preserve the property as an historical landmark, formed a society for its preservation (the Keeler Tavern Preservation Society, Inc.). The society purchased the property in 1965 and opened it as a museum in the next year.
Location
The street address of the Keeler Tavern is 132 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877, USA, across from the Fountain in Ridgefield.See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Fairfield County, Connecticut