Walker Tavern facts for kids
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Walker Tavern
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 11710 U.S. Route 12 Cambridge Township, Michigan |
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| Built | c. 1832 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Part of | Cambridge Junction Historic State Park |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000404 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 25, 1971 |
The Walker Tavern is an old, important building in Cambridge Township, Michigan. It is located on U.S. Route 12. This building was named a Michigan Historic Site on February 19, 1958. Later, on January 25, 1971, it became the first building in Lenawee County to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the Walker Tavern is part of the Cambridge Junction Historic State Park. It works as a museum and hosts many different events.
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History of Walker Tavern
The Walker Tavern was first built around 1832. It started as a simple farmhouse. The building was located at a very important crossroads. Here, the old Chicago Road (now U.S. Route 12) met the Monroe Pike (now M-50).
Early Days as an Inn
At first, a man named Calvin Snell ran the building as a tavern. A tavern was a place where travelers could stop for food and drinks. Around 1838, Sylvester and Lucy Walker moved to Michigan from New York. They likely started renting the inn and tavern from Snell. In 1842, the Walkers bought the building. They then named it the Walker Tavern.
The tavern was also an inn, offering rooms for travelers. People traveling from Detroit to Chicago would often stop here. This trip by stagecoach used to take about five days! Famous people like Daniel Webster and James Fenimore Cooper even stayed at the tavern. The building was used for many things. It was a place for religious meetings and political gatherings too.
Changes Over Time
Sylvester Walker ran the tavern until about 1853. Then, he built another similar place, S. Walker's Hotel, right across the street. In 1865, Francis A. Dewey bought the original Walker Tavern.
Later, in 1921, Frederic Hewitt bought the tavern. He turned it into a museum. In 1965, the Walker Tavern was sold to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The building was then restored, meaning it was fixed up to look like it did a long time ago.
What Walker Tavern Looks Like
The Walker Tavern is a two-story building. It is made of wood and covered with white wooden boards called clapboard. It sits on a small hill. The main frame of the building is made from strong, hand-cut oak timbers.
Underneath about half of the building, there is a basement made of fieldstone (stones found in fields). The original part of the tavern is about 36 feet long and 18 feet wide. Over the years, three main additions were built onto the back of the original structure, making it much deeper.
