The recent loss of the Groton Inn is a reminder that the landscape of our community evolves as much by circumstance as by planning. Smaller by good measure than Groton, the center of our own town is dominated by a Town Hall dating from 1922, a library dating from 1968, and a scattering of commercial structures so small as to be a source of both local pride and amusement to our neighbors in Medfield and Needham. Few of the farms which defined the town for most of its history have survived and visitors to the Caryl House who find nothing unusual in an 18th century parsonage with a baseball diamond in its back yard must work to imagine the property as the 80 acre tract that it was in its heyday. At that time, however, the center of town was defined by the Whiting- Williams Tavern which was situated just southeast of the present library.
The northern portion of the tavern was built in 1761 by Daniel Whiting, the son of a prominent local family who spent much of his early life fighting the French and Indians. On returning to Dover, Daniel married Mehetable “Hattie” Haven and the couple raised five children. On learning of the battle at Lexington, Whiting immediately rejoined the local militia and subsequently the Continental Army with which he woul serve in distinguished capacity for the next six years. Left to manage on her own, Hattie promptly succumbed to an attack of apoplexy and the children were scattered in the care of various relatives. Unable to manage his affairs from afar, Whiting sold the tavern to John Reed in 1778.
In 1799 the tavern was acquired by a prominent local businessman, John Williams, whose other interests included a stagecoach line between Woonsocket and Boston. Williams expanded and added a dance hall, a store, livery stable, and a bowling alley. On Thanksgiving Day the bowling alley was the site of a turkey shoot in which fowl were placed at a distance of 110 yards and local residents paid ten cents a shot in the hope of bringing home their dinner. In addition, the tavern served as the town Post Office until 1876.
In 1818 ownership of the tavern passed to John Williams’ son-in-law, Isaac Howe and later to Lorenzo Mann. The business began to decline in the 1830’s and the property passed through multiple short term owners over the next eight decades without regaining economic viability. The Whiting-Williams Tavern was destroyed by fire on January 21, 1908.
