Buildings and Grounds
Squires Tavern
In 1796, Daniel Bennett of Weston built the house in Barkhamsted that would later be called Squire’s Tavern.
From 1801 to 1821, it was operated as a tavern by Saul Upson, who then sold it to Bela Squire. The property had a farm, tavern, and blacksmith’s shop. The house had other owners after 1871, including Johann Ullmann, a German immigrant farmer. In 1929, the former Tavern was donated to the state and housed park rangers as part of People’s State Forest up until the 1990's.
In the summer of 1996 the Barkhamsted Historical Society became aware of the changing status of the building as it became vacant for long periods of time. In December 1996 a letter was sent to State DEP management asking that the building and nearby grounds be leased to the Town of Barkhamsted, with the Historical Society responsible of maintaining the structure and using it as a headquarters. Ongoing talks with the State proved fruitful. The State DEP leased the building to the Town of Barkhamsted in 2001. The Barkhamsted Historical Society underwent years of restoration efforts.
Squires Tavern has now been fully restored. It acts as a living museum, headquarters for Barkhamsted Historical Society and is site to yearly historic programs and cultural events.
Merrill Tavern
The Merrill Tavern was built about 1814 by the Merrill family who operated a Tavern and a store there. This building is part of the Barkhamsted Center Historic District, which includes the Center Schoolhouse, the First Congregational Church of Barkhamsted, the Church parsonage, the Old Town Hall, now a residence, and the Nathaniel Collins house, an 18th century building.
In 2015 BHS entered into discussions with the MDC regarding the buildings future after learning it had recently become unoccupied. In June of 2019 we were granted an easement from the Metropolitan District Commission water company ( MDC)
This building is a large undertaking by BHS. Our immediate goal is preservation of this historic building and area. We need your help moving forward in restoration efforts.
The Center School House
The 1821 schoolhouse of Barkhamsted‘s Center school district was two stories tall when it was built. Due to population decline and the building being in need of repair, it was converted to a one-story building by removing the first floor in 1880. It ceased being used as a school in the 1930s. In 1980, the schoolhouse was moved to Center Hill Road from its original location, near what is now the Barkhamsted Reservoir, by the Barkhamsted Historical Society.
This building is used mainly as a living museum, open the last Sunday of each month during summer May through September.