Fairfield Inn (Fairfield, Pennsylvania)

Fairfield Inn

Fairfield Inn, April 2011
Location Main St., Fairfield, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 39°46′57″N 77°21′49″W / 39.78250°N 77.36361°W / 39.78250; -77.36361Coordinates: 39°46′57″N 77°21′49″W / 39.78250°N 77.36361°W / 39.78250; -77.36361
Area 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built 1787-1789 (the oldest portion)
Architectural style Gothic
NRHP Reference # 73001583[1]
Added to NRHP April 2, 1973

Fairfield Inn, also known as The Mansion House, is a historic inn and tavern in Fairfield, Adams County, Pennsylvania.

Architecture

Fairfield Inn is a 3 1/2-story, stone structure with a gable roof. It features a three-story Victorian Gothic-style porch.[2]

History

The tavern property was part of a larger tract of land that was conveyed on December 19, 1755 to John Miller, (founder of Fairfield), by Charles Carroll of Maryland. The widely used construction date of 1757 for this building has no basis in fact. According to a well-documented study of the town by historian Timothy H. Smith, historical documents suggest that this site had not been developed at the time of a sale in 1787. Two years later, the property sold for 55 pounds, indicating that a stone house (probably the northern half of the structure) had been built during the period of 1787-1789. The first documentation for a tavern being operated at this site is during the ownership of James Wilson, beginning in 1830. The idea that the Fairfield Inn was one of the oldest taverns in the area is pure myth. There is also no evidence whatsoever to suggest that this site, or any other site in the town of Fairfield, was associated with the Underground Railroad. In fact, the Miller family actually owned slaves during the early 1800s. Peter Shively acquired the property in 1856 and owned it during the American Civil War.

During the Getttysburg Campaign, Peter Shively filed a claim for damages done to his property by the Confederate Army. These losses included lard, oats, corn, whiskey, brandy, win, gin, and rum. The damages totaled $278. It has been stated that Robert E. Lee and J.E.B. Stuart visited the Fairfield Inn during the Civil War. Other than the fact that both of these men passed through the town, no evidence has been discovered to support these claims. The owners of the Fairfield Inn claim that guests can stay in "the room General J.E.B. Stuart stayed in." While it is true that J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry passed through Fairfield during their October, 1862 raid through Pennsylvania, the general was probably in Fairfield for no more than a few hours. To assign historical significance to specific rooms in the hotel is nothing short of pure imagination.

The Fairfield Inn was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 2, 1973. It is located in the Fairfield Historic District.[1]

Famous Guests

It has been stated that Patrick Henry stayed and conducted meetings at the Fairfield Inn because of his supposed relationship to Isabella Henry, wife of John Miller. However, there is absolutely no evidence to support this claim. Henry died long before the first documented operation of a tavern at this site.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes Charles Dunlevey (July 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Fairfield Inn" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-12-08.

This article was updated based on research by Timothy H. Smith in Adams County History, Volume 19, 2013, Published by the Adams County Historical Society.

External links

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