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Show oo A TAVERN WITH A HISTORY. Pilgrims to historic Lexington are to have a new point of interest In that beautiful old town after Monday, May 15, for on that dnto the famous Monroe tavern becomes a historical museum. The tavern has been closed to the public slnco 1S0G, but it Is now to be open all through tho summer and probably at Intervals through tho winter. Under the will of-James Smith Mun-roe. Mun-roe. who died last Docomher, tho property was left to the Lexington Historical society. The house, built in 1C95, was a famous fa-mous hostelry for 1GS years. It was erected by William Munroe. Jr., who. born In Caithness. Scotland. In 1C25, was taken prisoner by Cromwell fon in the battle of Worcester in 1651. and was doported on the .John and Sara to Boston. He worked out tho cost of his passage, "settled in Cambridge Cam-bridge Farms (now Lexington) In a section atlll called "Scotland," married mar-ried three wives, had thirteen children and became a substantial citizen As his children married he added successive ells to his house until It Is said to have resembled a ropewalk. His son, William, Jr., built a house, for himself a tavorn. Its famo began be-gan with its purchaso In 1770 by Colonel Colo-nel William Munroe. grandson of tho bluldcr and great-grandson of tho original settler. This fourth William Munroe "was horn in 1742, and was one of the fifteen Munroes who took part in the battle at Lexington. Ho was orderly sergeant, and he not only lined up to the seventv minute men who far-ed the S00 British regulars, hut also had command of the spcclul squn detached to guard Hancock and A Jams on the night of April IS. It was he who said to Paul Re ore when that messenger came clattering up to the parsonage In the dead of night, "Don't make so much uoiae." "Noise," replied Revere; "there'll be noise enough before morning the regulars arc coming." While Sergeant Mqnroe was on-gaged on-gaged with the redcoats, his wifo and three small children look refuge on tho hill behind the tavern, leaving tho house in charge of John Raymond, a hired man. The British commander, Lieutenant Colonel 5mith, finding the whole countryside aroused, sent back for reinforcements. The relief, undor Earl Percy, arrived at the tavorn about tho middle of tho afternoon, took possession, and. holding tho provincials pro-vincials back by posting flold pieces on the hill above tho Livorn and on n mound where tho high school now stands, dressed the wounded brought In by the retroatlng forces, which, overcome by fatigue, hunger and the oxtrome and unseasonable heat, would undoubtedl- have succumbed to the galling fire of the provincials had It not been for the arrival of Earl Percv. Before leaving, some of the soldiorg piled up the harroora furniture, set it on Arc. made tnrkets of the walls and ceilings and bayoneted on tho doorstep door-step the defenseless Raymond. Ono of the bullet holes remains and tho scorched furniture Is still in possession posses-sion of the family. Tho next national event at tho tavern was the arrival, November 5. 17S9. of President Washington. He came from Andocr by way of "Bllll-riki" "Bllll-riki" to view "the suot on which the first blood was bpllt." and was served with dinner in the upper east room. The beautiful Lowestoft punch bowl of Hiram lodge of Masons, established es-tablished in 1797. is to be on exhibition exhibi-tion at the tavorn. This was al6o a famous place for those driving by coach or sleigh from Boston. Webster. Web-ster. Everest. Amos and Abbott Lawrence Law-rence vtrrjivcquout visitors. On tho first floor, at the right of the quaint little hall, with Its narrow staircase. Is tho barroom, with fas-clnatlug fas-clnatlug cuhbpards, a wide fireplace and hand-hewn timbers, running all awry. At the left I3 the living room, used as the British hospital on the afternoon of April 19. 1775. Above that Ik the room In which Washington dined, and over the barroom Is tho "host bedroom," each of fhesc rooms having the original timbers and fireplaces fire-places and the old floor boards of pro-revolutionary pro-revolutionary days. Among the many thlngh to be shown are the chair on which Washington Wash-ington eat the dishes from which he at and drank, asd the spoon with which he stirred his tea. There are altfo some pieces of furniture and china chi-na that belonged to Colonel William Munroe his Iron spectacles, his dress waistcoat and leathern breeches, paste stock buckle and snuff box Thero will be exhibited a lot or ancient deeds and documents, including tho Uvorn day books, goinj: back to 177:1, and a chair made h Jonathan Harrington, Har-rington, tho last survivor of tho battle of Lexington. Boston Transcript. |