The Burnham Tavern is a historic tavern at 14 Colonial Way in

Machias, Maine Machias is a New England town, town in and the county seat of Washington County, Maine, Washington County in Down East Maine, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town population was 2,060. It is home to the Univ ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Built in 1770, it is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the Machias area, and is known for its locally significant role in 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 the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. The tavern is operated as the Burnham Tavern Museum by the Hannah Weston Chapter of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

(DAR). Featuring late 18th period furnishings, the house includes artifacts from the 1775

Battle of Machias The Battle of Machias (June 11–12, 1775) was an early naval engagement of the American Revolutionary War, also known as the Battle of the ''Margaretta'', fought around the port of Machias, Maine. Following the outbreak of the war, British a ...

, the first naval battle of the Revolution. The building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1973.

Description and history

The Burnham Tavern is located on the south side of Colonial Way in downtown Machias, just south of its junction with Free Street. It is a rectangular two-story wood-frame structure, oriented to face east, presenting a side to the street. The roof is gambrel, with a

clerestory A clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey; from Old French ''cler estor'') is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye-level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, a ''clerestory' ...

section of windows on the second floor. The main facade is five bays wide, and the building has a large central chimney. The entry vestibule has a distinctive staircase that branches left and right, providing independent access to the second-floor bedrooms. There are parlor rooms on either side of the chimney, and a kitchen with large fireplace taking up most of the western half of the building. English settlers first arrived in the Machias area in 1763, and the tavern was built in 1770 by Job Burnham. It is the only building in the Machias area with a documented connection to the

, as it was used as a meeting place by the local militia, particularly during the events that led to the 1775

, one of the first naval encounters of the war. It was also used as a hospital for treating the wounded of both sides in the battle, and artifacts related to the capture of the ''Margaretta'' during this battle are on display. The building continued to act as a major local social meeting point into the 20th century.

References

External links

Burnham Tavern Museum
{{National Register of Historic Places Houses completed in 1770 Museums in Washington County, Maine Historic house museums in Maine American Revolutionary War museums Taverns in Maine Taverns in the American Revolution Daughters of the American Revolution museums Machias, Maine Houses in Washington County, Maine National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Maine 1770 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay Drinking establishments on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine

Description and history

See also

References

External links