Burnham Tavern and the Revolutionary War Downeast

By Terry Hussey

Members and guests of the Milbridge Historical Society were intrigued to hear the history of the Burnham Tavern and the Revolutionary War battle of Machias when Valdine Atwood spoke at the November 13 meeting of the Milbridge Historical Society. "The story of the Tavern and the history of Machias go hand in hand," she said. Atwood brought many pictures and a detailed scale model of the Tavern, which was constructed by her husband, John, after painstaking research.

Atwood said that the Burnham Tavern was built in 1770, and is the oldest building east of the Penobscot River and the only building in Eastern Maine with Revolutionary War history. It was selected in 1974 as one of 21 homes in the United States with the most significance to the Revolution.

The owner and proprietor of the Tavern was Job Burnham with his wife, Mary O'Brien, who enjoyed it not only their business, but also their home. The Burnhams raised their eleven children there. Built just a few years after the settlement of Machias, it was the gathering place for the community.

Machias at the time of the Revolutionary War

Atwood said that the Machias area was settled in 1763 by 16 pioneers from the Scarborough area. They sailed down the coast and were attracted by the vast forest, the fast running rivers for their sawmills, and the large areas of salt marsh to provide hay for their animals. Within just a few years, there were 80 families in this remote outpost. There were no roads, so everything was brought in and out by ship. They cut timber, processed it in their sawmills, and sold it to provide money for the many supplies they needed.

In the spring of 1775, they had made an agreement with merchant seaman Ichabod Jones to bring them supplies from Boston, in exchange for lumber. When he arrived, he was accompanied by an armed British schooner, the "Margaretta," captained by Lieutenant Moore. Moore's instructions were to bring the lumber to Boston to build barracks for the British troops quartered there.

"Remote as they were, the citizens of Machias had heard about Lexington and Concord and were not all that happy to let their lumber go to the British," said Atwood. The men discussed the issue over and over, probably at the Tavern, trying to decide what to do. They needed the supplies, and had been told that only those who would turn their lumber over to the British would get any supplies.

Finally, they concluded that they would not yield to the British demand, and they decided to capture Lieutenant Moore in church on Sunday. Atwood pointed out the courageousness of this decision. If they had been defeated, Machias would have been burnt to the ground and the men would have been hung as traitors. "What they did was quite remarkable," she said.

Moore happened to look out the window of the church at just the right moment and saw the men who were plotting his capture. He raced out the door and took his ship down the river a short way. From his point of safety there, he fired his canons; but they were mounted in a stationary position, and could do little damage. The citizens fired a few arms from the shore, but these too were ineffective.

Frustrated, the men of Machias commandeered two small boats and followed the "Margaretta" down the river. Poorly armed but full or patriotic fervor, the men rammed the "Margaretta," boarded the British ship, and easily captured it. The battle was later called "the Lexington of the Sea" by James Fennimore Cooper.

Atwood said that the injured British soldiers were brought to Burnham Tavern, which served as a hospital for a short while. In the Tavern today is an old sea chest, stained with what, tradition says, is the blood of Lieutenant Moore.

History of the Tavern

Besides keeping the Tavern, Job Burnham was an active partner in the local sawmill and owned small pieces of other businesses. He and Mary were married for 22 year, until he died in 1803. Mary continued the Tavern's operation with the help of her son, William, at least until 1818. There are no records of Mary's death. William moved to Cherryfield where he built another Burnham's Tavern on the site of the former Blueberry Ford garage. His brother operated the Machias Tavern for a while, but then it was sold.

Atwood said that for the next 60 years, the Tavern changed hands many times. It was used as a rental business and residence. With the long succession of renters, it gradually fell into disrepair.

In 1907, according to Atwood, two public-minded residents of Machias, Edward Curtis and Alfred Ames, became concerned about the Tavern. They felt it was a public treasure that shouldn't be lost. They raised money from local citizens and purchased the Tavern. Then they placed an article on the warrant of the town meeting of 1908, asking the town to take over the ownership and care of the Burnham Tavern. Records of the town meeting show that Machias resident voted to "indefinitely postpone" the article, and no action was taken.

In a trust document of 1910, Curtis and Ames turned over the ownership of the Tavern to the Hannah Weston Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. This group has cared for the Tavern since that time, said Atwood.

The Tavern was in terrible condition in 1910, and was gradually restored over the years. Tiny chips of paint revealed that the original color of the building was probably colonial yellow, so it was repainted in that shade. Maintenance and repairs were paid for with private donations.

By 1993, there were major repair issues, but not nearly enough money to address them. Imagine the surprise of the D.A.R. chapter when they received a bequest of more than $60,000 from the will of Hilda and C. Spauling Prime of Addison. "I bless them every day," said Atwood.

Using the new funds, the organization was able to rebuild the sagging foundation and replace numerous rotted boards. After 225 years, the building was showing its age, and repairs were not easy or cheap. Today, the foundation is firm and secure, and the D.A.R. is able to address more cosmetic issues.

Funding for the Tavern today comes mostly from private donations and from the group's annual lawn party on the first Tuesday in August. In recent years, the town of Machias has contributed $300 a year to maintaining the building. The museum is open to the public during the summer months with a work-study student from U.M.M. serving as guide.

The Tavern is furnished with many original items that have found their way back there from family members who have moved far away. A special treasure is the silver tea service from the "Margaretta," which came back to them from Florida in 1977.