Last week’s post focused on taverns as centers as news. This week’s post continues the theme of communication by talking about taverns as post offices. The painting chosen for this week’s #TavernTales is John Lewis Krimmel’s Village Tavern from 1813-1814. Just like last week, there is a man reading a newspaper at the center table and another one at the woodstove doing the same. You can also see more newspapers hanging behind the outside door. The bar’s various drinking containers hint at the types of alcohol being served (beer, punch, wine, etc.). And the almanac hanging on the bar door tells us the year is 1814. (Bonus points if you can find Krimmel’s initials.) The guy coming in from the outside has a large mail pouch draped over his right shoulder and is also carrying a basket with parcels in it. The man in red next to him is very likely announcing to the crowd that the mail has arrived. Taverns as post offices, or at least central places where mail would be delivered, go back to English customs where the mail would often be dropped off at taverns. And then the tavern keeper would somehow let the recipient know that their mail was at the tavern. Here in the Chesapeake you can find notices in both the Virginia Gazette and Maryland Gazette where tavern keepers are posting a list of people that can come pick up their mail. When the recipient went to the tavern to get their mail, they were expected to pay the tavern keeper a small fee to help offset the cost of taking out a newspaper advertisement. The first official post office in the North American English colonies was started in 1639 in Boston at Richard Fairbanks tavern. The official government record from reads in part: “For preventing the miscarriage of letters; & it is ordered, that notice bee given that Richard Fairbanks his house in Boston is the place appointed for all letters which are brought from beyond the seas, or are to be sent thither, are to bee brought into; and hee is to take care that they bee delivered or sent according to their directions; and hee is allowed for every such letter 1 penny, & must answere all miscarriages through his owne neglect in this kind....” Because the designation as an official post office was a desired thing, many tavern keepers throughout the colonies competed with each other to become the post office for their community. Being designated as the local post office was a mark of distinction for tavern keepers. The practice of taverns also acting as post offices continued through at least the American Civil War. A local mural in Silver Spring, Maryland shows Union Troops reading their mail at the Eagle Tavern. Original painting is at the Toledo Museum of Art. Want to learn more Tavern Tales? Come to Drinks with the Director! On Saturday, July 4 from 12:30 - 2:30pm, executive director Rod Cofield will play bartender, serving up punch and cider while sharing the important role of taverns in the 17th and 18th centuries. Enjoy a relaxed afternoon of drinks and conversation on taverns, archaeology, and early America. Learn more and sign up to participate.

Did you hear that someone stole a bunch of prime timber? Authorities eventually tracked it down to a group of beavers. Not everyone was convinced, but the evidence was damming. The American Beaver, or Castor canadensis, is the largest rodent in North America and the second largest in the world, behind the Capybara of South America. They are largely nocturnal animals, doing most of their “busy” work over 12 hours through the night keeping up their territories. Since they are quite elusive to us during the day, we’d like to give you some clues to identify a beaver’s territory when you come across it. Felled Trees Felled trees, like the example pictured above, are probably the easiest identifier of beaver activity. Using only their four front teeth, Beavers can down a small tree within a few minutes. While they will cut larger trees they have learned to use the wind to their advantage by chewing the base just enough to let the breeze take over. Along with these gnawed-off stumps, beaver slides (the tracks of a tree dragged through the mud) are usually nearby. Beaver Tracks The next clue you might spot would be their unique tracks whose front and back feet are different sizes and shapes. The front feet are usually around 2 to 3 inches long while the hind, webbed feet come in at around 6 to 7 inches long! Compare to other common Maryland critters here. Castor Piles Getting closer to a Beaver’s home you might see some curious castor piles. These piles, made of mud and plant materials, are scent markers for a Beaver’s territory and are often found surrounding a pond or river’s edge where a dam or lodge is nearby. There can be hundreds of these mounds per lodge depending on how close their neighbors are so be careful not to step on these stinky landmines. Warning Slap If you are lucky to see a Beaver near its home you may get a warning slap. When threatened, Beavers will slap the water with their tails which is thought to scare off potential predators and possibly warn family members that there is danger nearby. Check it out here. Dams and Lodges Finally, you might come across the exquisite engineering feats of the American Beaver, dams and lodges. A lodge is a large mound made from mud and sticks with an underwater entrance where a life-long couple may spend their time sleeping and raising young. A dam is multifunctional, calming river flow to prevent lodges from getting swept away as well as deepening and widening the waters of their territory to encourage new wetland plant growth which eventually encourages more wildlife to show up such as fish and birds. The beneficial impacts of beaver dams are staggering. They can reduce erosion, decrease flood damage downstream, filter impurities from reaching lakes, increase nutrients, encourage riparian growth, and provide crucial habitats for other wildlife. However, they have been known to build their dams in problematic areas causing damage to farmland and privately owned homeland, but we’ll let you be the judge on what that means for Maryland’s ecosystem. Love the Natural World? Sign Up for an Upcoming Mini Garden Workshop! Join us for newly announced miniature herb garden (Saturday, July 11, 10:30am) or miniature succulent garden (Saturday, August 1, 10:30am) workshops. Learn more on our events page. Sign up soon, since space is limited (and socially distanced!).

A Map of the West-Indies & c. Mexico or New Spain, Herman Moll, c.1732 This week’s #TavernTales takes place in Newport, Rhode Island, on August 22, 1744 At this point in Dr. Hamilton’s journey (read part one and part two), he has decided to stay at Newport for a few days to enjoy the town and talk with a number of residents. On August 22nd, he meets two acquaintances, Dr. Keith and Captain Williams, at Hassey’s coffeehouse. While talking amongst themselves, Hassey joins the conversation to offer up his thoughts about shipping and trade. At first he tries to convince Hamilton and his friends that an instrument of whalebone and cartilage can be used to determine longitude (historical note – longitude was very difficult to determine at sea; an accurate method was not adopted until the 1760s). After trying to explain how he would determine longitude, Hassey then goes on to explain that they should cut “the American (Panama) isthmus in two, so to make a short passage to the south seas.” Hamilton describes Hassey as an “old whimsical fellow” who as been dismissed as “a crazy gentleman.” From Hamilton’s journal it is clear that he, and his friends, did not believe this was a conceivable idea. Of course, it would be another 170 years until Hassey’s idea became a reality. Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today! London Town: Today and Tomorrow Survey You may have noticed an increase in our online postings lately. Will you take a short survey about what posts and virtual programs you'd like? You can also share your thoughts about re-opening London Town and what sort of programs you'd like to see after the crisis is over. Take the survey here

Monkeys in a tavern, Studio of David Teniers the Younger (Flemish, 1610–1690) This week’s #TavernTales highlights a particularly interesting experience that Dr. Alexander Hamilton had at the White Swan Tavern in Chestertown, Maryland (then called Newtown) and what that experience shows about colonial taverns. (If you missed part one, read it here) On June 2nd, Hamilton arrives at Chestertown and decides to “put up at Dougherty’s, a publick house there.” The next day he eats lunch with his friends at the tavern and is “entertained by the tricks of a female baboon.” As he writes, “this lady had more hangers-on at her levee than than the best person of quality in this town. She was very fond of her compliments and company of the men and boys….” Though it is definitely odd that a tavern in the colonial Chesapeake would have a baboon for the entertainment of its guests, the baboon’s presence hints at how taverns operated and competed with one another for business. Because tavern prices were set by the government, taverns could not (legally) compete on the price of lodging, food, or most drinks. But they could strive to have different types of amenities and entertainments available for their customers. In this instance, it is a female baboon. At other places there could be bear-baiting or cock fighting. Some taverns displayed oddities such as a two-headed cow. Or they hosted traveling displays of European royals made out of wax. And some places, such as Mary Howard’s in Annapolis, specifically acquired servants and slaves who could play musical instruments for their guests. These are just some of the ways by which tavern keepers competed with one another for business. Next week’s post will connect to Central America and Dr. Hamilton’s disbelief about something that exists today. Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today! London Town: Today and Tomorrow Survey You may have noticed an increase in our online postings lately. Will you take a short survey about what posts and virtual programs you'd like? You can also share your thoughts about re-opening London Town and what sort of programs you'd like to see after the crisis is over. Take the survey here

In support of Pride Month, London Town is sharing another lecture from our series last February on LGBTQ+ history in the Chesapeake. In "Fops, Fribbles, and Female Husbands: Gender Diversity in Early Anglo-America," Caitlin Heartweave speaks on the diversity of gender roles in early America, focusing on individuals who could and did ‘break the rules,’ defining and expressing themselves in gender-non-conforming ways. This lecture was filmed on February 15, 2020 as part of our Winter Lecture Series: LGBTQ+ History in Maryland.

Researched and written by Rachel Rabinowitz, Collections Manager and Visitor Services Coordinator, Claire Goode, Living History Specialist, and Teresa Marcus, Community Engagement Coordinator Let's talk about our backgammon set in this object highlight video. Who knew backgammon could be so dangerous? Watch the whole series. Backgammon with dice (2008.02) Gift of Judy Van Lunen. Backgammon is an ancient board game, which can be traced back to Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) nearly 5,000 years ago. Backgammon means “back play”, the Middle English word “gammon” means play. The name refers to players ability to go forward or back as the game progresses. It uses dice, pieces, and a game board. In 1743, Edmond Hoyle produced a treatise on the rules and regulations of the game. Backgammon is a two-player game where the winning goal is for one of the players to collect all pieces onto their home board and then are the first to “bear” the pieces all off. Still played today, backgammon originated in what is now Iraq and made popular by the ancient Romans and bears many similarities to parcheesi. The set is made of wood, with the points and other decorative elements inlaid into the wood. Much like many of the games popular in the 18th century, the outcome was often bet upon. Backgammon is notoriously synonymous with games that drew gamblers, or ‘gamesters’, with its promise of many a coin to be won. With coin, however, comes those who will lie, steal, and cheat for it resulting in violent feuds and tavern brawls like the one depicted in Jan Steen’s appropriately tilted Argument Over a Card Game where a backgammon board can be seen lying open on the ground. For More Information Learn more at the resources below: · https://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/collections/backgammon/ · https://intl.oed.com/oed2/00016327 · https://bkgm.com/books/JacobyCrawford/HistoryOfBG/ · https://bkgm.com/books/Hoyle/Transcription/ Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today! London Town: Today and Tomorrow Survey You may have noticed an increase in our online postings lately. Will you take a short survey about what posts and virtual programs you'd like? You can also share your thoughts about re-opening London Town and what sort of programs you'd like to see after the crisis is over. Take the survey here

Summer just got hotter! Summer went from hot to hotter to hottest in a matter of days. Even for garden beds with automated irrigation, hot-humid weeks can send us in a rush to check on water for lawns, garden beds, delicate annuals and planters. Like your garden, but not so much the moisture checks? Well, if you get full sun and would like at least one section in your garden that you don’t have to rush to check on water - even on the hottest days - then you might want to add some of following plants: Yarrows, St. John's-wort, and Euphorbias, also known as Spurge. Yarrow Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, is a rewarding all season bloomer. The feathered aromatic leaves are gorgeous in of itself, and the inflorescence is stunning. Featured today are 'Moonshine' with a yellow brighter than the sun and 'Paprika' that would set the temperatures soaring even on grey cloud cover days. Yarrows have high ethnobotanical uses. "The genus name Achillea refers to Achilles, hero of the Trojan Wars in Greek mythology, who used the plant medicinally to stop bleeding and to heal the wounds of his soldiers". Source St. John's wort St. John’s-wort, Hypericum 'hidcote,' is my go to plant for disturbed soils and full sun/part sun spots. 'Hidcote' is a compact variety for small sections. There are over 400 species in this genera and with its habit of accommodating most disturbed soils, some species do act aggressive. Look for the most compact and less aggressive variety or if you have a wide open space then add the native densiflorum. Source Spurge Euphorbias, commonly called as Spurge, is a large genus. Their distinct features include a white milky latex like sap and unique flowers that are either male or female. Most interestingly: "It is the only genus of plants that has all three kinds of photosynthesis, CAM, C3 and C4." Source This genus has over 2,000 species! The succulents use the CAM, while Chamaescy sp. use the C4, and the rest use C3. Spurges can add the brightest chartreuse green to any sunny spot making it even brighter. Yarrows, Euphorbias and Hypericums are all hardy perennial shrubs. Less maintenance and lower water requirements resonates well with perennials and even more so with natives. Summer gardens must have at least some maintenance free plants. Greens that love the soaring high temperatures and that don't quench for water until it rains next, are the ones that make sunny summer gardens most enjoyable. Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today!

Welcome back to another "A Sin and A Secret." Mix yourself a drink based on a colonial recipe and then curl with a completely true, completely salacious story. Enjoy a new #ASinAndASecret post every week. Read more in the series here. Thirsty Martha The following short story appeared in the Maryland Gazette in November, 1750. The Gazette was reporting on gossip that had occurred in a tavern back in England: "Yesterday a woman, who goes by the name of Thirsty Martha, being at a public house, a man offered to pay for as much ale as she could drink while he smoak’d out a pipe of tobacco; she accordingly drank eight pints in the time, (which was not less than a quarter of an hour) and went off not at all disordered, excepting that she complain’d she was still very dry.” We’ve paired this quick hit of a story with a boozy drink: the Blenheim. Also known as Four Score and Ten, this drink was created in honor of Winston Churchill. The Blenheim (also known as the Four Score and Ten) Created for Winston Churchill 90th Birthday by Joe Gilmore. 1 oz, Brandy 3⁄4 oz, Yellow Chartreuse 1⁄2 oz, Lillet Blanc 1⁄2 oz, Orange juice 1⁄2 oz, Dubonnet Rouge Instructions Combine with ice, shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today! Select Drink Recipe Sources for the Series: Alderman, Clifford Lindsey, "Of Drinks & Drinkers," Early American Life, December 1975, pgs 87-88, 91 - 93 Bullock, Helen, The Williamsburg Art of Cookery or Accomplished Gentlewoman's Companion: Being a Collection of Upwards of Five Hundred of the Most Ancient and Approv'd Recipes in Virginia Cookery, Colonial Williamsburg and Dietz Press: Richmond, VA, 1938 Carr, Eve, "Home-Grown Treats," Mid-Atlantic Country, December, 1986 pgs. 34 - 35, 58 Gaspee Days Committee, www.gaspee.org/colonialrecipes.html Mackin, Jeanne, "Flowing Bowl," Americana, pgs. 39 - 41 Stief, Frederick Philip, Eat, Drink, & Be Merry in Maryland, Johns Hopkins Press: Baltimore, MD, 1932 Tilp, Frederick, "Tips on Tippling from Tidewater Maryland," Maryland Magazine, 1978, pgs. 14 - 17

The next few Tavern Tales will use paintings to explore the various aspects of colonial taverns. The painting for this week is Richard Woodville’s War News From Mexico (1848). Though this painting is from the mid-1800s, the focus on the newspaper highlights one of the more important aspects of taverns throughout the colonial period and beyond: news. Because taverns were places where both locals and travelers interacted, they became focal points for learning about what was going on in the wider world and how that might affect the local community. Locals and travelers debated topics big and small. Regularly scheduling group meetings would meet at the tavern to read the newspaper and discuss anything and everything that was of interest to them. There is even one instance of a tavern’s newspaper being used to help patrons learn to read. Woodville’s painting centers on the man reading the newspaper because this is how many communities first received important news. This painting is meant to show a slice of American life at the time of the Mexican-American War. But this scene could just have easily occurred at the beginning of the American Revolution. Or even at the start of the French & Indian War. You have people showing a mix of reactions (e.g., surprise, concern, and maybe some excitement as to what is coming). Though the focus is on the white men, the pair of African American people in the painting shows that the issue of slavery is a large issue that affects society and politics. There are many other details in this painting that also help us understand various aspects of society at that time. One item (out of many) to point out is that the older man on the right is wearing breeches in the 18th-century style while everyone else has more contemporary clothes. Another detail in this painting is the red sign on the left porch support that reads “Post Office.” This will be the focus of next week’s tavern tales. Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today!

By Margaret Herbers, Member & Volunteer For six months a year since 2017, Historic London Town and Gardens has been hosting a different kind of garden: oyster gardening. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation provides volunteers with cages for seedling oysters (called “spat”) to give them a year protected from predators to become established. This requires access to a dock to suspend the cages in water deep enough to keep them above the muddy river bottom but still immersed at low tide during the winter. Our family moved to Anne Arundel in 2017 and while I was searching for access to a suitable dock I was delighted to discover London Town. When executive director Rod Cofield graciously gave permission to hang four cages between the dock pilings, the first “garden” started that September. Every two or three weeks until November, the cages get pulled up and rinsed with fresh water to discourage parasites, and left on the dock for 30 minutes or more. From November until March the oysters are dormant; then in April the process begins again. In May the Chesapeake Bay Foundation staff collect the oysters for permanent placement. A number of people do oyster gardening on South River, and all these oysters are placed in an oyster bar (also known as an oyster reef) in Glebe Bay. I’m grateful to London Town making possible this little contribution toward helping the environment. My grandchildren are fascinated with all the critters that ride along when the cages are pulled up, as are London Town visitors who happen by and ask questions. And we're grateful to Margaret for the wonderful work she's doing! Thank you! Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today!

Between 1758 and 1764, William Brown, carpenter, ferrymaster and tavern keeper, built his large Georgian house to be a tavern. It overlooks the ferry landing in the busy port town of London on the South River. ​ In the 1780's, Brown lost the house to his creditors, and it became a rental property as the town faded away. In 1828, it was purchased by Anne Arundel County as the almshouse. It continued to shelter those in need until 1965. ​ Today, the William Brown House is the heart of the historic area at Historic London Town and Gardens. Now a National Historic Landmark, you can take a virtual tour of this building to learn more about the people who lived and worked there. View the full tour screen Start the mobile tour How to navigate the tour Personal Computer/Laptop Click and drag your mouse, or use the arrow keys on your keyboard, to move around each panoramic image during the tour. Clicking on the blue arrows will move you into another space. Clicking on the hotspots ("i" icons) during the tour will give you more information, an image, or a video relating to the William Brown House. Along the right side of the screen is a globe, clicking on it will bring up an interactive floor plan of the building, clicking it again will close it. At the bottom of the screen are images of each room that, when clicked on, will allow you to quickly navigate to any space in the tour. Mobile Devices Swipe right or left to move around each panoramic image during the tour. Tapping on the blue arrows will move you into another space. Tapping on the hotspots ("i" icons) during the tour will give you more information, an image, or a video relating to the William Brown House. Along the right side of the screen is a globe, dragging it to the left will bring up an interactive floor plan of the building, dragging it to the right will close it. Pinching in on the floor plan will decrease the size of the map; pinching out on the floor plan will increase the size of the map. At the bottom of the screen are images of each room that, when tapped on, will allow you to quickly navigate to any space in the tour. Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today!

Welcome back to another "A Sin and A Secret." Mix yourself a drink based on a colonial recipe and then curl with a completely true, completely salacious story. Enjoy a new #ASinAndASecret post every week. Read more in the series here. We have some cautionary tales of about those who were besotted with liquor in the wintertime, to their detriment. Losing a Fight with a Tree A January 8, 1761 Maryland Gazette article reads as follows: “Sunday Morning last, Samuel Tyler, an Overseer, was found Dead, in the Snow near the Head of Severn. He was seen very much in Liquor the Evening before, and is suppos’d to have fell from his Horse and perish’d with the Cold. It is said, that when he was overcome with strong Drink, he used to be a mere Mad-man, and would even Quarrel with his own Shadow; and by his Knuckles being bruised, and a Tree near where he lay being Bloody, and the Bark a little beat off, it is supposed he Quarrelled and Fought with the Tree.” "It is said, that when he was overcome with strong Drink, he used to be a mere Mad-man, and would even Quarrel with his own Shadow" - Maryland Gazette, 1761 The Fortune Teller London Town had witnessed a similar occurrence almost exactly 10 years earlier. Another Maryland Gazette article from January 23, 1751 describes the misfortunes of a fortune teller: “Saturday last an old Man, supposed to be near Seventy, was found almost Dead, and quite Speechless, at a little Distance from Town, and taken up in a Cart and brought in, where he died soon after. All that we can learn about him, is, that he came from some one of the lower Counties, and had been some Days at and about South River Ferry, pretending to tell Fortunes, and Sotting with Drams, and other strong Drink.” "...He came from some one of the lower Counties... pretending to tell Fortunes, and Sotting with Drams, and other strong Drink.” - Maryland Gazette, 1751 We have paired these stories with the reviving drink, Rumrousal. Rumrousal 1 quart rum 3 quarts whole milk 1 and a half cups honey Half pint bourbon Mix all ingredients in a pot and stir over low to medium heat. Pour into a punch bowl and serve hot. Makes 4 ½ quarts (36 3-ounce servings) To make a single serving use: 2 ounces rum 1 ounce bourbon A generous splash of milk 1 tablespoon honey or to taste Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today! London Town: Today and Tomorrow Survey You may have noticed an increase in our online postings lately. Will you take a short survey about what posts and virtual programs you'd like? You can also share your thoughts about re-opening London Town and what sort of programs you'd like to see after the crisis is over. Take the survey here Select Drink Recipe Sources for the Series: Alderman, Clifford Lindsey, "Of Drinks & Drinkers," Early American Life, December 1975, pgs 87-88, 91 - 93 Bullock, Helen, The Williamsburg Art of Cookery or Accomplished Gentlewoman's Companion: Being a Collection of Upwards of Five Hundred of the Most Ancient and Approv'd Recipes in Virginia Cookery, Colonial Williamsburg and Dietz Press: Richmond, VA, 1938 Carr, Eve, "Home-Grown Treats," Mid-Atlantic Country, December, 1986 pgs. 34 - 35, 58 Gaspee Days Committee, www.gaspee.org/colonialrecipes.html Mackin, Jeanne, "Flowing Bowl," Americana, pgs. 39 - 41 Stief, Frederick Philip, Eat, Drink, & Be Merry in Maryland, Johns Hopkins Press: Baltimore, MD, 1932 Tilp, Frederick, "Tips on Tippling from Tidewater Maryland," Maryland Magazine, 1978, pgs. 14 - 17