October 09, 1974

Ohio's Stagecoach Inns Charming

Relics of bygone eras hold mysterious attractions whether they be covered bridges, grist mills, canals or salt-box houses.

Personally, I enjoy old stagecoach inns, because you can eat well while soaking up atmosphere and history.

My favorite watering place is the Smithville Inn in the village of Smithville just north of Wooster.  There they serve chicken, noodles and hot biscuits family style.  The price is right and the food first rate.

Surprisingly, there are many stagecoach inns still in operation.  History written upon the land in the form of famous wayside inns may still be observed in 20 Ohio cornmunities.

Built in the days when only the brave and the berserk dared travel the wilderness trails of the Old Northwest Territory, the taverns doubled as meeting places for presidents, poets, politicians and dignitaries from foreign countries.

Six of the great old hospitality centers have remained in business as outstanding eating places, and three of the same group offer overnight accommodations.  Everything possible has been done to preserve these taverns exactly as they were when the stagecoach and conestoga wagon were the only means of travel.

If you are looking for something beyond the commonplace in good food with the authentic atmosphere of early America, you will derive much pleasure from a visit to any of the following historic inns:

• THE GOLDEN LAMB HOTEL, Lebanon, is the oldest hotel in the State.  The hotel began operating in 1803 the same year that Ohio became a State.  The dining rooms are decorated and furnished just like they were when Charles Dickens, Henry Clay and other celebrities dined there.  Upstairs the rooms have the same period furniture, and each room is named after former guests such as General Grant, and several Presidents.
• HEADLEY INN, five miles west of Zanesville on Route 40 and Interstate 70, has been operated by the same family for six generations.  The picturesque stone building started as a stagecoach inn in 1802.  The dining room is open each year from June 1 through Sept. 30, but it is closed on Mondays.
• BUXTON TAVERN, 313 E.  Broadway, Grandville, has been in existence since 1812.  It was for many years a very important hostelry.  The Tavern still keeps overnight guests and it attracts people from many miles to partake of its fine food and charming atmosphere.
• OLD STAGE COACH INN, Smithville, dates back to 1818.  It is built on land granted to the owner by President Monroe.  The Inn is noted for quality of its food.
• YE OLD STAGE HOUSE, 8879 Brecksville Rd., Brecksville, was built in 1859.  The building is constructed with black walnut siding three feet wide and held together with handmade nails and wooden pegs.  The interior decor is early 19th century and the waitresses are garbed in frilly costumes of the same vintage as the furniture.
• RED BRICK TAVERN, Lafayette, Ohio, on Rt. 40, was a favorite eating place of Henry Clay, William Henry Harrison and other great statesmen in the early days of Ohio, and it has maintained its reputation for good food and service to this day.  The building was erected in 1837.

Other famous taverns that have ceased to serve meals or keep overnight guests but are still standing as historical landmarks are.

• CURTISS STAGE COACH INN, south of Galena, built in 1822, now the private residence of the granddaughter of the builder.
• OVERFIELD TAVERN, Troy, the log cabin served as both tavern and court house during the early 1800's.  Due to the efforts of the Hobart Brothers, the cabin has been restored to its original appearance.
• GRISWOLD INN, Worthington, built by Ezra Griswold in 1803, it was patronized by many great men of history.
• SPREAD EAGLE TAVERN, Hanoverton, Columbiana County, was built in 1837.  The four-story mansion was the gathering place for the Irish canal workers.  The landmark is being restored by its present owners.
• STADIUM HOTEL, Cleveland, corner of Sixth and St: Clair, the scene of numerous political speeches among which were those made by President Andrew Johnson and General U.S. Grant.
• DUNHAM TAVERN, 6709 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, was once an important stage stop.  Now the building contains pioneer relics from all parts of the Western Reserve.  One feature is an old stone smokehouse.  The restored Tavern is open daily, free, from 12:30 to 4:30 except Mondays.
• RIDER TAVERN, Painesville, on Rt. 20, built in 1818 and patterned after Washington's Mount Vernon home.  Stages on the- Cleveland-Buffalo route used the tavern for a stopping point.
• STONE TAVERN, Poland, Ohio, also known as Sparrow Tavern, built in 1804 to serve as a station on the Pittsburg-Cleveland stagecoach line.
• SINGLETARY HOUSE, Streetsboro, built in 1828 as a stagecoach tavern on the Cleveland-Wellsville-Pittsburgh line.
• OUR HOUSE, Gallipolis, built 1819, was visited by many distinguished guests including Lafayette and Louis Phillipe of France.  The restored house is a property of the Ohio Historical Society.
• TREBER TAVERN, Route 41 North of West Union, built in 1798.  It is now a private home.
• LOCUST LODGE, Middlebourne, is still owned by descendants of William Penn.

The search for buildings that once were stagecoach stops is a fascinating hobby.  Nearly every hamlet in the state has a building that once was used to rest horses, drivers and passengers.

Once an old stagecoach route is rediscovered the site of a stop can be found every five miles.  It was customary to water the horses every five miles, and it is astonishing how exact the intervals were.  Many Ohio cities owe their start to enterprising inns that served the travelers.

With the advent of railroads and automobiles the stagecoach declined and with it, many of the villages that depended upon such traffic.  However, the nostalgia lingers on.

Author: Lindsey Williams