History of Merrill Tavern

The 1814 Merrill Tavern is a historic building located in historic Barkhamsted Center and it was at risk.  It is owned by the Metropolitan District Commission water company.  For years the MDC rented it out to employees.  In 2015 Merrill Tavern became unoccupied and the future of the building was in doubt.  The Barkhamsted Historical Society realized that it was too significant to lose. It is part of the Barkhamsted Center historic district created by the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.  The building was constructed by the Merrill family.  This family played a significant role in the early Barkhamsted community.  Merrill Tavern served as a residence, store and tavern for many years in a location that was the geographic center and municipal center of town.  Was it possible that the building would be moved or torn down?

Preserving the Merrill Tavern became a priority of the Barkhamsted Historical Society.  Over a period of several years we worked with the town and the MDC on a way to save Merrill Tavern.  In 2019 the MDC agreed to give the town of Barkhamsted an easement on the property and a few months later that paperwork was approved at a town meeting.  The Historical Society hired a respected old house expert, Myron Stachiw, to do a week long investigation of the building in 2020.  Myron found and documented many interesting aspects of the Merrill Tavern, including wall stenciling of a pattern that also matched stenciling in Squire’s Tavern.  Myron also recommended preservation priorities to help save the building. 

Currently we are working to preserve Merrill Tavern so that this building remains a part of the historical fabric of Barkhamsted.  Taking on this project is a huge challenge for our small group of volunteers and our progress may be slow, but we are determined to save a structure that was witness to so much of the history of our town.