  King’s Tavern In the days when Indians roamed the territory of Natchez, block houses were built by the white settlers who came that way. These were sturdy, well-fortified houses built to protect occupants against Indian outbreaks. Such is King’s Tavern—an inconspicuous, faded, old wooden structure on a high brick foundation. Although unostentatious, King’s Tavern is important. According to the records it is the oldest building in this part of the South. Parts of St. Augustine, Florida, are somewhat older. Its very atmosphere breathes of days and people long dead; of Indians, of Spanish and English and French noblemen; of weary travelers over foot paths or by river boats, wandering into the old Tavern, resting, and then departing, disappearing from the face of the earth. The house is more than 170 years old. Records show that “the first United States mail brought over the Natchez Trace was delivered to King’s Tavern by an Indian runner and was distributed from this point.” The timbers are held together by wooden pegs and beams. The heavier timbers are of the type used in the construction of large ships of that period. Ceilings in the rooms are low. Doors and windows are heavy with narrow frames. The sills and sleepers of the building show the rope holes, again indicating that timbers came from old sailing vessels. The earliest official record of transfer of this property shows 1789 as the year it was granted to Richard King, a member of the King family of Long Island, New York, and by him it was given the name “King’s Tavern”. Formerly it had been known as the Bledsoe House. For a period of about 115 years the property has been owned and occupied by the descendants of Mrs. Elizabeth Postlethwaite. An interesting relic of bygone years is a portrait in oils of the late Samuel Postlethwaite III, who was Mayor of Natchez in 1825 when the great Lafayette visited the little village. This portrait is signed by the artist, Benjamin West. Mrs. A. C. Register and Mrs. Jean Register Modsett, descendants of the Postlethwaite family, are the present owners and occupants of King’s Tavern. Legend:
Main Door at King’s Tavern Where Indian Runners Left the Mail Bullet holes in the door are from an Indian attack during the early days of Natchez. |
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