The History of the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia

by S. J. Quinn

The Rappahannock House was located on the east side of Main street, about half way between George and Hanover streets. It was kept by Thomas Goodwin. The name of this house was afterwards changed to the Shakespeare, and was conducted by a Mr. Parker. It was burned down soon after the close of the Civil war and store houses were built on the ground it occupied.

The Farmers’ Hotel was situated on the west corner of Main and Hanover streets, and extended up Hanover street to Jail alley, then known as Hay Scales alley. A part of this building is still standing on the corner of Hanover street and Jail Alley and is now owned and occupied by Mr. M. E. Ferrell, who has changed it into a residence. The main part of the building, on the corner of Main and Hanover streets, was burnt many years ago. In its stead a large, brick structure has recently been erected, called the Enterprise Building, the lower part of which is used for store and postoffice and the upper floors for a public hall, sleeping apartments and offices. This Farmers’ Hotel was regarded as the leading hotel of the town in its day, and was headquarters for both stage lines—Extra Billy (afterwards Governor and Confederate General) Smith’s[61] and Colonel Porter’s. It was kept at different times by James Young, Wm. E. Bowen, Bowen and Ramsay, Turner H. Ramsay, Charles E. Tackett, Peter Goolrick and Daniel Bradford.

The Exchange Hotel, so well known and in operation to-day, on the south corner of Main and Hanover streets, was built in 1837 by Wm. D. Green. The brick work of this building, which was destroyed by fire in 1850, is said to have been the handsomest in the State. The front walls were of pressed brick, oil finished and were of a beautiful red. The first building had three stories and a hall for theatrical purposes, with an entrance on Hanover street. This hall was known as “Green’s Assembly,” and very fine companies occupied it, many of them for several nights in succession. The present three-story building was commenced soon after the first one was burnt, but was not fully completed until after the late Civil war. The Exchange was first opened by Mrs. Wm. D. Green and was succeeded by Mrs. Fenton Brooke Smith. Since the Civil war it has been conducted respectively by W. T. Freaner, Captain George Henry Peyton, Cadmus B. Luck, Cotton and Hills, H. B. Tuttle, John Ultz and W. L. Laughlin, who is the present landlord.

Just above the Exchange Hotel, on Hanover street, was the Eagle Hotel. It has recently been refitted for families and room-renters and is known as the “Eagle Flats.” The Eagle was very popular in its day and was a favorite stopping place for the farmers. It had a very good patronage also from passengers on the two stage lines. No hotel has been kept there for many years. In its day it was conducted by James Newby, James Cunningham, Jesse Pullen, Wm. P. Quisenberry and Wm. H. Murphy.

The Alhambra, on Main street, just below the Exchange Hotel, was first kept by James Timberlake, who was succeeded by Samuel Stone, and he by Charles F. Barlosius. After the death of Mr. Barlosius, several years ago, the house was repaired and remodelled by Capt. Thomas P. Wallace and leased to John W. Allison, Jr., who conducted it some time as the Alsonia. Some years ago it was purchased by Mr. Michael Long, who conducted it until his death. It is now a restaurant.

On the south corner of Main and Charlotte streets stood the Indian Queen Hotel. This was a fine, old building, erected probably in colonial times for a hotel, with a porch the entire length of the building, with colonnade. It was the favorite stopping place for members of Congress and other travellers going to and from Washington.[62] The first proprietor of the Indian Queen, in the memory of our oldest inhabitant, was Jacob Herndon. He was succeeded by James Young, John Gray, Robert Blackburn and Mr. Rawlings. The last to occupy it was a Mr. Whiting, and during his occupancy, in May 1832, the building was destroyed by fire and was never rebuilt. The lot to this large building extended to Princess Ann street, and the stage yard and stables were located where the Southern Foundry now stands. It was in this building that the statute of religious liberty was considered, adopted and written, and it is a matter of great regret that the house was destroyed. The committee that produced this wonderful document, which is given elsewhere, was composed of Thomas Jefferson, George Wythe, Archibald Cary, George Mason and Ludwell Lee.

On the south corner of Main and Frederick streets stood Traveller’s Rest, a tavern of considerable notoriety and popularity, kept by Jesse Pullen. It was headquarters for all circuses and manageries, and was frequented by large numbers of laboring men after their day’s toil was over. Here were talked politics and the general topics of the day by the ward politicians, and where they laid schemes to carry elections. The house was destroyed some years before the Civil war and the lot remained vacant for nearly sixty years.

The Western Hotel was located at the corner of Commerce and Charles streets, where Mr. Robert T. Knox and Brother keep store. It was a frame building, and the business was conducted first by Thomas Procter, then by Walker Lucas, who was succeeded by Mr. Joseph Sanford. Mr. Sanford, some years before the war, tore the old frame building down and erected the present three and a half story brick structure and changed its name to the Planters’ Hotel. During the Civil war it was conducted by Mr. Councellor Cole, and a short time after the war by a Mr. Mitzell. Since then it has not been kept as a hotel.[63]

Liberty Hotel was located on Liberty street, then outside of the corporate limits, but now a part of the town. For many years it was kept by Boswell Alsop and was headquarters for the sporting men of the town. General Sam Houston, after his return from frontier life, spent much of his time at this hotel, and quite a number of the leading men of the South, on their journeys to and from Washington, made it their stopping place. It is an old-fashioned frame house, one story and a half high, of the same style of architecture as the Mary Washington house, and shows that both of them were built about the same time.