DISCOVER LOCAL HISTORY

VISIT A MACHIAS TAVERN WITH TIES TO THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR • BY AISLINN SARNACKI

Perched On A Hill

near the Machias River, sits a house with a gambrel roof and a great brick chimney. Its many windows look out over the town that has grown up around it for generations.

Burnham Tavern has been a fixture of Machias since 1770. Among the oldest buildings in Down East, Maine, it’s significant for many reasons. But one aspect of its history, in particular, captivates visitors from near and far.

Just a few years after it was built, Burnham Tavern became a make-shift hospital for British soldiers injured during the famous Battle for the Margaretta, known as the first naval battle of the American Revolution. And that’s not all. The building likely served as a meeting site for the townsfolk who planned the attack.

Today, the once tavern and inn serves as a museum, run by the Hannah Weston Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. And it’s filled with items that date back to the 18th century, including a wooden chest that came from the Margaretta itself.

“The story is, if you look carefully, you can still see the captain’s blood on the chest,” said Ruth Ahrens, recording secretary and historian for the Hannah Weston Chapter.

British Captain James Moore was shot during the Battle for the Margaretta and, as the story goes, he was laid out on the chest to be treated. Despite efforts to save him, he died from his wounds.

“We like to start everything with ‘the story goes’ or ‘to the best of our knowledge,’” said Ahrens.

She explained that documents such as newspaper articles and voting records have been used to piece together the stories that she and other museum docents share with visitors.

The Battle of the Margaretta is the most popular story of them all, and for good reason.

In the spring of 1975, about 80 families lived in the growing coastal town of Machias. It had been a tough winter. According to some accounts, they only had about two weeks of food left in storage when the anticipated trading vessel arrived to trade food for lumber. But there was a problem.

Sailing with the trading vessel was a British ship, the Margaretta, which carried swivel guns on its railing. It was there to make sure the deal went smoothly. The American Revolution had just begun, and lumber and firewood were needed at British encampments.

In need of food, the majority of townsfolk voted for the deal to go through, Ahrens said. But a group of impassioned men were loath to help the British in any way. So they plotted to take over the ship.

On Sunday afternoon, when the captain of the Margaretta was attending church in town, they moved to capture him. But he saw them coming, jumped out of a window and fled to his ship while being shot at.

“You could have heard that and probably smelled the musket fire from here,” Ahrens said as she sat in the taproom of the tavern. “That’s why it’s said that ‘the tavern was a witness.’”

About a hundred Patriots from town, armed chiefly with farm tools, pursued the Margaretta on two merchant vessels, the Falmouth Packet and the Unity. The ensuing battle resulted in the death of two Americans and five British, including Captain Moore.

But that’s not the whole story. The docents at Burnham Tavern Museum are filled with knowledge about the details of this event and many more. All you have to do is stop by and take a tour.

When serving as docents, both Johnson and Ahrens sometimes dress in costumes based on the traditional clothing of the late 18th century in rural Maine. They enjoy connecting with people through sharing their excitement for local history.

“I think what makes this place special is that it’s primarily run by docents, as opposed to having labels on things and rooms roped off,” said Ahrens. “The experience can be tailored to the visitor. You can touch things and ask questions.”

A few valuable items are set in glass cases, but otherwise, people are welcome to carefully touch artifacts that are scattered throughout the house. The collection has grown over the years to include a drum from the American Revolution and a 1791 sign from a tavern that operated down the road. Even chairs in the taproom date back to the late 1700s, which you’re welcome to sit in.

Burnham Tavern has been maintained as a museum since 1910 by the Hannah Weston Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a group of women who can all trace their ancestry back to the American Revolution. It’s one of 21 homes identified as having the most significance in the war, and it’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

“Items were donated by people originally from this area,” said Cathy Johnson, regent of the Hannah Weston Chapter.

“There’s very little in here we’ve purchased.”

Located at 14 Colonial Way in Machias, the museum is open 11 a.m.-3 p.m., July 5 through Sept. 3. It also opens for limited hours during the Margaretta Days Festival, which is June 16-18 and commemorates the town’s part in the American Revolution.

Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $5 per adult. For more information, call 207-733-4577 or email info@burnhamtavern.com.