History and Hops: Norwich’s Colonial Taverns and their Keepers

Featured in Norwich Magazine, April 2020

Few relics that survive from years past encapsulate the life and culture of early America better than the ubiquitous colonial-era tavern. One tavern over the course of its lifetime could yield a limitless amount of stories that defined our colonial ancestors. Many of these taverns no longer exist, but those that remain exist in a variety of vibrant states; some are museums, and others are still active public hotspots such as America’s oldest continually operated restaurant, the White Horse Tavern of Newport, RI, serving up libations since 1673. 

Taverns were essential to colonial life, to the point where they were encouraged and in some cases, even mandated by public law. They were lively centers of activity for locals and travelers alike who all indulged in liberal amounts of tobacco, liquor, and the news of the day; the latter of which could be considered the most critical of them all. Newspapers were scarce outside major cities, and were not produced in Norwich until the Norwich Packet began production in 1773. Before the age of the internet, the citizens of Norwich depended heavily on local taverns to keep them informed and engaged with public affairs. By this standard, it was the tavern that functioned as the eighteenth century version of a social network.

Norwich generated many important industries during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, not the least of which was a healthy supply of taverns. The earliest of Norwich’s tavern owners included Thomas Waterman in 1679, followed by Deacon Simon Huntington in 1690 and Caleb Abel in 1694. At the onset of the American Revolution, the Norwichtown Green alone was home to several prominent taverns owned by men including Joseph Peck, Eleazer Lord, and Azariah Lathrop. Each tavern was unique, and it was not uncommon for certain taverns to cater towards a specific clientele.  Lord’s Tavern was regularly frequented by lawyers at the courthouse also located on the Green, and in the Bean Hill section, John Durkee, a decorated veteran of the French and Indian War operated a tavern from his home which became a meeting spot of the Norwich Sons of Liberty, of which he headed. Later in 1790, Jesse Brown was issued a tavern license for his home on the Norwichtown Green and hosted President John Adams along with First Lady Abigail Adams on August 1, 1797. Though the industry was dominated by men, Norwich women including Sarah Knight and Joanna Leffingwell, mother of Colonel Christopher Leffingwell, also assumed the role of tavern keepers during the 1700s.

In 1701, a license was granted to one Ensign Thomas Leffingwell so that he may maintain a “publique house for the entertainment of strangers” located at the home recently purchased by the Leffingwell family from fellow neighbor Stephen Backus. For three generations the famous Leffingwell Inn was a favorite tavern among many Norwich residents including the father of the traitor, Benedict Arnold. Arnold Sr. struggled with alcoholism which became a mark of public shame on the family and it was reported that Arnold had to remove his father from the Leffingwell Inn on more than one occasion.

The role of an inn and tavern keeper was no small task and those who ran them were often men who held multiple public and private positions. In 1756, Christopher Leffingwell inherited the Leffingwell Inn after the passing of his father Benajah and expanded the home further as it stands today. Throughout his life, Christopher Leffingwell hosted an untold amount of locals and visitors including George Washington himself in April of 1776 and managed several businesses and mercantile operations. He was elected Justice of the Peace, Connecticut State Representative, and Norwich City Alderman throughout the course of his life. More than just social gathering spots, the colonial taverns of Norwich became symbols of the American spirit coming together over a fresh pint of spiced ale.