WR3 NHT: Southington

Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail Sites
Southington

The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route (W3R) is a National Historic Trail that commemorates the allied French and Continental armies during the American War of Independence, and the hundreds of miles travelled to, and from, the victorious Siege of Yorktown in 1781 and 1782.

Barnes’ Tavern & French Encampment in Southington, June & October 1781

There’s a lot going on here in the southwest corner of Southington. In addition to the reason this page exists – the large Greek Revival style house Levi B. Frost House (or the Asa Barnes Tavern) that represents over two centuries of Southington history -it is part of the Marion Historic District and it’s on the National Register individually and it’s on the W3R National Historic Trail.

It’s only that last one that we care about here on CTMQ. (And, quite frankly, I don’t really care all that much but as a National Historic Trail, I simply must “visit” and report.)

As with all these stops on the trail, this is a place where French troops camped and officers tavern’d. Here, most of the troops put up tents in this part of Southington called Marion at the foot of what is still known as French Hill and where Barnes’s Tavern is located. Some of the officers stayed at Barnes’s Tavern. There’s a plaque on the front corner of the house, but I’m not keen on walking up to private residences to take pictures. I’m sure it doesn’t say anything more than what I’m cribbing from official websites right here.

I will never not get a kick of the French soldiers’ diaries rating of the women at each encampment. Nothing will beat the East Hartford diary entry, but this is pretty good:

The troops arrived at the site early, Berthier’ fourth division started setting up camp at 8:00 a.m. Private Flohr of the Royal Deux-Ponts entered into his diary: “On the 28th (i.e., 27 June 1781) we marched 13 miles to Barnes’ Tavern, an inn along the road. We set up our camp very close to it. We again had very numerous visits from the American maidens who circled the camp on horseback and who appeared just like English horsemen. This afternoon our MM generals gave a ball on the open field in front of our camp and invited the American maidens to it. This lasted into the dark night. All joy could be seen there what with dancing and singing as well with the soldiers as with the officers who had fun with the English girls. After that we went to sleep in our tents, but the girls went home all sad.”

Oh come on. Who’s going to believe French guys let the “women go home all sad?”

The officers themselves danced in Asa Barnes’ Tavern at 1089 Marion Avenue, site of some of the grandest entertainments provided by French officers. When Berthier arrived at Barnes’ Tavern on 29 June 1781, “we found many Americans and some pretty women in our camp. The comte de Charlus gave a big dinner for the prettiest ones, followed by a ball that lasted all night.”

That’s more like it.

The current building is not the building these guys partied in in 1781. That burned down in 1836 and Levi Frost built a new tavern in its place.

That plaque that is currently on the building? Apparently it’s very wrong. It says some claptrap about an Irish Brigade staying here, but those cats were nowhere near Connecticut in 1781. They were actually in Martinique of all places, probably having a much nicer time of things than the French guys in Southington.

As you all know, Rochambeau kicked English butt in Yorktown and made his return trek back across Connecticut where he again stayed at the Barnes Tavern. No word on if he and his boys partied with Southington hotties again, though we can only assume as much.