Maine Memory Network

Quoted from "Skowhegan on the Kennebec" by Louise Helen Coburn, pg. 312-314, Chapter XVIII Skowhegan Hotels

"Of Heywood's Tavern and the Elm House the former takes precedence. The ground of these had a common early history, since their sites were part of a 48-acre tract, purchased in 1822 by Josiah Parlin, and covering land lying between Madison and Court St., running north from what was then called Norridgewock road, the present Russell St., about to the top of the hill. The eastern portion of the south section of this tract, beginning 12 rods est of the Madison road corner and running north as far as High St., was immediately sold by him to Eben H. Heil. This lay opposite Neil's store lot and furnished him room for the pot-ash, which at that time was a necessary annex to the general store. Josiah Parlin sold the western end, as strip six rods wide,extending along Madison road from Norridgewock road to the road past Eben H. Neil's, the present High St., to Amos F. Parlin in 1833. A tavern was already in operation on Madison road not far from High Street, conducted by Dudley Heywood. How much earlier Heywood commenced tavern-keeping, or if Josiah Parlin may have run the first inn on this spot, is not evident. Josiah seems to have erected the building on the lot he owned, and he may, of course, have been landlord for a while, but he had his own dwelling round the corner. We may reasonably assume that Josian Parlin built the inn about 1830 or a year or two earlier, and that Heywood was inn-keeper from the beginning.

The picturesque old house with interesting window-frames and doorway is still standing, and is the third building south of High St. It was seperated from Washington Hall by Mrs. Betsey W. Bosworth's boarding-house. Heywood's Tavern in its early years was the most commodious and attractive of the north-side public houses. Heywood's Hall was an important feature of the tavern and was used for social occasions and many kinds of meetings.

In 1839, at the time of the disturbance known as the "Aroostook War," the regiment of militia of Skowhegan and neighboring towns was ordered to rendez-vous, for the purpose of marching to Bangor, at the "Inn of Dudley Heywood in Skowhegan." The order, however, was countermanded and the regiment was not mobilized.

In 1834 Amos F. Parlin sold to Shepherd Heald the lot on which the tavern stood, and in 1836 Heald sold the same tract to Dudley Heywood, who owned the tavern only two years, at the end of which time one-half interest passed to John Ware of Athens and one-half interest passed to William Moore of Anson. A few years later Moore sold his interest to Ware, and the latter made purchases of considerable land running east of the hotel and of the lot south of it. Heywood was succeeded as landlord before 1843 by H. A. Moore.

Landlord Heywood was not a descendent of Peter the pioneer, but was related to his family. He married Mary, daughter of Asa Wyman, first newspaper publisher. He removed to Wisconsin in the early 1840's. His wife died in Skowhegan of consumption Oct. 11, 1845.

In 1847 J. Parker Boies, son of John, Revolutionary veteran, took the management of the tavern and advertised it under the name of Maine Hotel, and as "strictly temperate." This seems to have been the first time a public house in Skowhegan was conducted on a non-alcoholic basis.

About 1850 Capt. Albert G. Manley took over the hotel, calling it the Manley House, although he never owned it. He went to California in search of gold in 1853, and after a short suspension of business Mrs. Manley reopened the house. The Clarion remarked:
This Hotel is ably conducted and in an orderly manner by the enterprising landlady. We bespeak for Mrs. Manley a liberal share of public patronage.

Mrs. Manley was a sister of Greenleaf Hill and daughter of the "old officer." The Captain returned to Skowhegan in 1864, but did not again take the hotel, which is said to have been finally closed about 1858. The Manleys took up their abode on Water St., where the E. N. Merrill house afterwards stood.

The lot on which Heywood's Tavern had stood, with the land adjoining it, was sold in 1863 by John Ware, at the time of Waterville, to Asa G. Emery, who sold the eastern section the same year to the Somerset and Kennebec Railroad, and the remainder in 1877 to Levi Pike of Brighton. Later the old tavern came into the ownership of Albion K. Rowell, who for many years used the horse-sheds for a boarding stable for the care and feeding of horses temporarily brought to town, and carried on in the ell of the main building a small store. After 1924, under the same ownership, the stables were leased for a garagee with offices in the ell, while the house was divided into apartments for rent."