Historical Guide to Old Charlottesville / With mention of its statues and of Albemarle's shrines

by Mary Rawlings

EAGLE TAVERN

On the Square’s South side stood the famous Eagle Tavern. Its site is now the East wing of the Monticello Hotel. For almost two centuries this spot has been the site of a house of entertainment, and has never had any other use.

The date of the first building is not recorded. The lot was cut off and sold in 1765; the village then was two years old, and the lot was new. When sold for the second time, in 1791, it is described as a tavern. The building probably followed the first purchase.

The Eagle Tavern was a wooden, two-and-a-half story building, with the sign of the eagle displayed. A deep porch covered its front, and on this travelling peddlers habitually sold their goods: saddles, boots, dry goods, etc. This for some decades was an important item in the supplies of the village, but after 1835-36 it died away.

Later, this wooden structure was replaced by the present low brick building. The name became Eagle Hotel, and so continued until 1863, when it became the Farish House.

Of its use before the coming of the railways we are told that on court days 200 or more persons dined here, and in the stables and lot 250 horses were fed. Reminiscing, an early citizen wrote:

“In 1833 the price of board and lodging was ten dollars per month. The public room was a spacious hall, having in it a large open fireplace.... In one corner of this public room was the bar, having shelves on which were ranged decanters and bottles of the ardent—the elixir of life.... Our farmers sat down to a superb dinner, and cheerfully paid the landlord fifty cents for it—not as in the present times, when many bring snacks in their pockets and eat them while sitting at a fire kept up by the landlord for the guests of the hotel.”

As late as the 1790’s public dances were given here, and were attended by high and low, the different classes keeping to themselves, though without friction. (This mingling was doubtless due to the scarcity of music.) Here, too, the political parties celebrated their victories with great dinners, and endless speeches and toasts.

An old book gives this somewhat disconcerting glimpse of the village in 1818: