Overfield Tavern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Overfield Tavern
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Overfield Tavern in 2004
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| Location | 201 E. Water St. Troy, Ohio 45373 |
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| Built | 1808 |
| Architect | Benjamin Overfield |
| Architectural style | Federal Style |
| Website | http://overfieldtavernmuseum.com/ |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001495 |
| Added to NRHP | January 30, 1976 |
The Overfield Tavern is a very old building in Troy, Ohio. It sits right by the Great Miami River. This special place was built way back in 1808 by Benjamin Overfield. For many years, it was a busy tavern, which was like an inn where travelers could stay. Today, you can visit it as a house museum! It's the oldest building still standing in Troy, and one of the oldest in all of Ohio. Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
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The Overfield Tavern: A Glimpse into History
The Overfield Tavern is a true piece of history. It shows us what life was like in Ohio a long time ago. Benjamin Overfield, the builder, was a key person in the early days of Troy. His tavern was more than just a place to eat and sleep.
Troy's Oldest Building
Many people believe the Overfield Tavern was the very first house built in Troy. Imagine, this building was here before almost anything else! In 1807, the area where Troy is now was chosen to be the "county seat" for Miami County. A county seat is the main town where the government offices are.
Benjamin Overfield bought some land and finished building his tavern by the fall of 1808. This was a big deal for the new town.
The First Courthouse
Not only was the Overfield Tavern an inn, but it also served as Troy's first courthouse. From 1808 to 1811, important court meetings were held right inside this building. The county leaders decided that the court would meet in Benjamin Overfield's house until a proper courthouse could be built. He even let them use a room for free!
A new courthouse started being built a few years later. However, it wasn't fully finished until 1824. After a big fire in 1824, Benjamin Overfield moved his tavern business closer to the new courthouse. This shows how important the tavern was to the growing town.
What the Building Looks Like
The Overfield Tavern today is made up of a few parts. The main building is a two-story structure made of strong hewn logs. It was built in 1808. There's also an older log structure, built around 1803, attached to the side. This smaller part might have been Benjamin Overfield's first log cabin for his family.
These two log buildings are connected by an enclosed "dogtrot." A dogtrot is a covered passageway between two parts of a building. Later, in the mid-1800s, more additions were built onto the north and east sides. The building shows features of the Federal style, which was popular in the early 1800s.
