Briggs Tavern

Briggs Tavern is a historic building at 2 Anawan Street in northern Rehoboth, Massachusetts. Although its name refers to its former role as a tavern, the property is not documented as a contemporary hospitality brand or operating business. It is a preserved early commercial structure that is now used as a private residence. The building was constructed around 1780 at a location historically known as Stevens Corner, at the southwest corner of Anawan and Tremont Streets. Both roads developed as longstanding transportation routes through the rural part of Rehoboth; the western portion of Tremont Street and Anawan Street are associated with the modern route of Massachusetts Route 118. Its location would have made the property suitable for serving travelers and the surrounding community during the period when taverns functioned as both lodging and social centers. Architecturally, Briggs Tavern is a two-and-a-half-story wood-frame building with a side-gabled roof, two interior chimneys, and a clapboard exterior. The principal elevation is five bays wide and has a central entrance framed by pilasters. Above the doorway is a rectangular transom with half-round tracery and a corniced entablature. A two-story ell extends from the left side of the main block, while a later single-story, hip-roofed addition stands in front of the ell. The interior retains several features associated with late-eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century construction, including paneled fireplace surrounds, chair rails, wainscoting, and splayed window lintels. The splayed lintels are identified as an especially uncommon feature in early Rehoboth architecture. The ell was added during the nineteenth century, reflecting the building's continued adaptation after its original construction. Briggs Tavern was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Its significance rests primarily on its age, architectural integrity, former commercial function, and status as Rehoboth's only surviving eighteenth-century commercial building. Because the available reference material describes a historic property rather than a current commercial enterprise, there are no documented product lines, corporate ownership structure, executives, campaigns, financial results, or operating markets to report.

Briggs Tavern was built around 1780 at Stevens Corner in what is now northern Rehoboth, Massachusetts. The site occupies the southwest corner of Anawan and Tremont Streets, two historically important local roads that connected rural parts of the town and supported movement through the area. In the eighteenth century, a tavern at this type of crossroads could serve travelers, residents, and local commercial activity, making the building an example of the small-scale public infrastructure that developed along early transportation routes. The original structure is a two-and-a-half-story wood-frame building with a side-gabled roof, interior chimneys, and clapboard siding. Its five-bay front has a centered entrance with pilasters, a rectangular transom featuring half-round tracery, and a corniced entablature. These details give the building a formal Georgian-era appearance while remaining characteristic of a comparatively modest rural commercial property. Several architectural elements survive inside the building. They include paneled fireplace surrounds, chair rails, wainscoting, and splayed window lintels. The lintels are particularly notable because they are considered rare among early buildings in Rehoboth. A two-story ell was added on the left side during the nineteenth century, and a single-story hip-roofed addition was subsequently placed in front of the ell. These changes document the property's continuing use and adaptation over time. The building's historic commercial role distinguishes it from an ordinary early residence. It is described as Rehoboth's only surviving eighteenth-century commercial building, giving it local importance beyond its individual architectural features. The former tavern is now used as a private residence, so its present function differs from the public hospitality role associated with its name. Briggs Tavern was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Its listing recognizes the preservation of an early building associated with Rehoboth's transportation history, vernacular architecture, and commercial development. The available references do not establish the identity of the original proprietor, provide a detailed chronology of tavern operations, or document later ownership transactions. They also do not identify any current business operating under the Briggs Tavern name.

• 1983

  National Register listing

  [1]Briggs Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  Briggs Tavern was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its architectural and local historical significance.

• 1800

  Nineteenth-century expansion

  [1]Briggs Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  A two-story ell was added to the left side of the original building during the nineteenth century. The exact year is not specified in the reference material.

• 1780

  Construction of the tavern building

  [1]Briggs Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  The Briggs Tavern building was constructed around 1780 at Stevens Corner in northern Rehoboth, Massachusetts.

A locally significant historic property and former tavern rather than an active consumer or hospitality brand.

1. 1Briggs Tavernen.wikipedia.org