The Society is excited to announce the recent acquisition of a Chippendale style wing back chair with an interesting history.

The chair comes to us through the generous donation of Marcia Close of McClean, Virginia. Mrs. Close is the daughter of Willard F. Smith whose parents, Allen and Edeler (Chickering) Smith lived in the house on Centre Street that is now occupied by the Charles River School.

On the evening of January 21, 1908 the Smiths and others removed this chair from the fire that was consuming the Williams Tavern which lay across the street and just east of the present Dover Library.

The Williams Tavern was originally constructed by Colonel Daniel Whiting in 1761. Local historian Frank Smith notes in his History of Dover, Massachusetts, as a Percent, Parish, and Town that “the Dover tavern, from the start, was not much used by guests who tarried, but rather as a stopping-place for those who journeyed and as a place of resort for the people of this and surrounding towns.”

In 1800 the tavern was purchased by John Williams who also operated a livery stable. In 1818 Williams was succeeded as manager of the tavern by his son-in-law, Isaac Howe. By the early 1830’s the business was in decline and the tavern ceased to operate as such around 1838, although the building continued to be used as a grocery store until about 1844. It remained largely vacant from that point until it burned in 1908.

The chair itself has been verified as dating from 1780 – 1800 which is consistent with the period in which the tavern was in its heyday and it is certainly within the realm of possibility that men such as Reverend Benjamin Caryl, his son Dr. George Caryl, or even Colonel Daniel Whiting might once made use of it.

We thank Mrs. Close for her generosity and her continued interest in Dover’s history.

By Elisha Lee