Newcom Tavern facts for kids
The Newcom Tavern, also known as the "Old Cabin," is a very old building in Dayton, Ohio. It is the oldest building still standing in the city! It was built in 1796 for Colonel George Newcom and his wife, Mary. They used it as a tavern, which was like a restaurant and hotel for travelers. Over time, the building had different owners, and people forgot how important it was. But then, during some construction, its original log walls were found! The building has been moved twice and is now at Dayton's Carillon Historical Park. Today, it is a museum where you can learn about early Dayton.
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How Dayton Began
Dayton was first planned by a group of leaders, including Jonathan Dayton. They hired people to map out a town where two parts of the Great Miami River met. This was how the city of Dayton started.
Building the Tavern and Its First Uses
The Newcom Tavern was built in 1796 for Colonel George Newcom and his wife, Mary. George Newcom was one of the first people to settle in Dayton after a peace agreement called the Treaty of Greenville in 1795. He was also Dayton's first sheriff, a state senator, and a bank president.
A builder named Robert Edgar constructed the tavern. He was paid 75 cents a day for his work! While building, Edgar stayed in the Newcoms' small cabin. He paid for his room and food with one deer each week.
The house first had two rooms: one upstairs and one downstairs. You had to use a ladder to get to the upstairs room. It was located where Main and Monument Streets are today. Two years later, the Newcoms made the cabin bigger by adding a tavern. This helped them earn money. For 65 cents, a person could get food and a place to sleep, and their horse could stay too!
The Newcom Tavern was very important to early Dayton. It was the city's first school, its first church, its courthouse, and even a store. Church services were held there for three years. The tavern was well-known as a stopping place for pioneers and people moving animals through the Northwest Territory. During the War of 1812, it was used as a military headquarters.
In 1815, the Newcoms sold the tavern. It changed hands several times until Joseph Shaffer bought it. He used it as a general store until 1894.
Moving to Van Cleve Park
Over the years, the log building was covered with wooden boards called clapboards. This hid the logs, and people forgot its history. In 1894, an architect planned to tear down the building to build apartments. But when the clapboards were removed, the old log structure was found! People realized how special the tavern was.
The building's owner gave it to the city. John Patterson, who owned National Cash Register (now NCR), gave money to move the tavern. In 1896, it was moved to Van Cleve Park, which is now RiverScape MetroPark. The Daughters of the American Revolution helped raise money to fix it up. In 1896, the Newcom Tavern opened as a public museum. It held old items donated by people from Dayton. The building even survived the big Great Dayton Flood in 1913!
Moving to Carillon Park
In 1962, the group that owned the building decided to move it again. The Van Cleve Park location didn't have enough parking. So, in October 1964, the Newcom Tavern was moved to Carillon Historical Park. It joined another old house there as part of a display about early settlers.
Moving the building was a huge job! It took twelve hours and a long, five-mile path. They even had to cross the Great Miami River twice to move the building just two miles. Getting it across one street took an hour and a half! The building reopened in May 1965. Today, the lower part of the tavern is open for visitors to explore.
