The Commercial Coffee House stood on the north-east corner of Milk and Batterymarch streets. It was built in 1817, and stood on the site of Hallowell's shipyard. It was kept by William Merriam in 1829, John Low in 1837, Col. Whitney in 1844, and lastly, in 1848, by James Longley, when it ceased to be a public house, and gave place to the Thorndike building. The preliminary meeting of the Mercantile Library Association was held there in 1820. It was a favorite resort of Eastern people.
Washington Hotel (the second of that name) was erected in 1819, and stood on the north-west corner of Washington street and Worcester place. It was kept in 1836, and for a few years succeeding, by Amherst Eaton. The Washington House was built in 1820, and stood on the site of the present Washington market, on the south-west corner of Washington and Lenox streets. The Messrs. Cooley kept it, and it was a favorite resort for sleighing parties.
In 1821 William Fenno opened a tavern in Cornhill square, and afterwards on the east side of Theatre alley (Devonshire street), near the corner of Franklin, adjoining what was the site of the (old) Boston Theatre, and latterly in Province street, near the south-easterly corner of Bromfield street.
The Stackpole House was built in 1732, and was the mansion of William Stackpole, a noted Boston merchant. It stood on the north-east corner of Milk and Devonshire streets, and was first kept as a public house in 1823 by Rouillard, formerly of the Julien House, and was a favorite resort of the choice spirits of former days. It was afterwards kept by James W. Ryan. Among its last landlords was Alexander McGregor, a stalwart Scotchman, and descendant of Rev James McGregor who led the colony which made the first settlement in Deny (N.H.) in 1824. The Scots' Charitable Society, of which the landlord was a member, frequently held its meetings there. It was demolished in 1868, to make room for the post-office edifice.
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The Sun Tavern (the third of that name) was built in 1801, and stood on the north-west corner of Battery march and Hamilton streets, and was the mansion of Benjamin Hallowell, who owned a shipyard opposite to his residence. It was first kept as a public house in 1824 by Goodwich, and in 1841 by Capewell, when it ceased to be a public house, and was demolished when Fort Hill was leveled in 1865. It was a popular resort of Eastern people.
The Lafayette Hotel was built in 1825, and stood on the east side of Washington street, opposite Boylston market. It was largely patronized by people from the country. Haskell was its landlord in 1836. The Scots' Charitable Society frequently held its meetings there.
The Tremont House was built in 1828, and opened October 1, 1829. It was owned by William H. Eliot, brother of the mayor of Boston 1837-1840. It was the prototype of the large caravanseries which dot the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Its first landlord was Dwight Boyden, who retired from its management in 1836 to assume that of the Astor House, which was opened May 1 in that year. It was the stopping-place of Webster on his way from Marshfield to Washington. It sheltered President Jackson upon his visit to Boston in 1833, a decade later President Tyler, and President Johnson in 1867. It was the temporary abode of Charles Dickens upon his first visit to America in 1842. Under its roof the Ashburton treaty, defining the north-eastern boundary between the United States and Great Britain, was negotiated by Lord Ashburton on behalf of the mother country, Abbott Lawrence on the part of Massachusetts, and Edward Kent on the part of Maine. Some of the most renowned men in the world have fed at its tables and slept under its roof. It still lives in its pristine vigor, and will not yield the palm to any hostelry in the world.
The Franklin House was built in 1830, and stood on the west side of Merchants row, between North Market and North streets, opposite the head of Clinton street. It was a favorite resort of Eastern people. Joshua Sears, an eminent merchant on Long wharf, made it his home for several years.