After the smoke cleared, the drums ceased, and the United States was founded, life in Concord started returning to a new normal. The Wright Tavern, built and opened in 1747, still operated as an inn and tavern, but conversations inside the tavern were now more about farming, prices, and town gossip. 

In 1776, while the Revolutionary War was gearing up, Daniel Taylor sold the tavern to Samuel Swan, a peruke-maker (wigs) from Charlestown, MA. Swan had moved to Concord after his home was destroyed during the Battle of Bunker Hill, seeking refuge and a place to restart his business. Swan’s nephews, William, John, and Thomas Kettell, accompanied Swan to Concord, and while the Wright Tavern continued to offer refreshments, the brothers started a small bakery in the basement. The Wright Tavern now had three businesses operating within its walls. It was so successful that Swan expanded the ell, a part of the building off the main structure, by another fifteen feet as he made other improvements inside the building.  

Then, in the 1790s, the Middlesex Hotel was built across the street from the Wright Tavern.  People started frequenting the new place, with a larger bar, bigger rooms, a dance hall, and modern conveniences. While the Wright Tavern was quaint, it couldn’t compete, and soon the tavern services ceased. The final blow was when the Selectmen stopped meeting in Wright Tavern and moved to the Middlesex Hotel. Although the Selectmen were not paid for their services, whenever they met and enjoyed food and drink, these expenses were paid by the Town. It was a major loss to see these customers attend their business across the street.  

Samuel Swan continued to struggle with the wig-making and bakery businesses, but  when it was no longer financially sustainable, he sold the tavern in 1793 and returned to Charlestown. Reuben Brown, a saddler who had gone to Lexington to scout the advancing British army on April 19, 1775, bought the building. It appears he never occupied the building and likely used it as a store to sell bridles, horse collars, and harnesses. He sold it ten months later to Francis Jarvis. 

Francis Jarvis

| Courtesy of the Wright Tavern

Born in 1768, Jarvis apprenticed with John Richardson, a baker in Watertown, MA. Here he learned a trade that would define his career and change the course of the Wright Tavern.  

Richardson and Jarvis moved to Concord, and Richardson built the Middlesex Hotel several years later. Jarvis served as a baker and tavern keeper in the Hotel. Then, in 1793, at the age of twenty-five, Jarvis bought the Wright Tavern with his friend, Thomas Safford. Jarvis and Safford turned the Wright Tavern into a bakery. About five years later, Jarvis bought out Safford’s share and took control of the operation.  

Jarvis is believed to have made major changes to the building, including removing one of the central chimneys and installing four Federalist-style fireplaces. The bakery became a successful business within the growing community of Concord, and Jarvis lived in the Wright Tavern with his wife, Millicent Hosmer, and their seven children.  

After having survived serious economic changes following the war, Concord became more prosperous toward the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th century.  When the Middlesex Court was in session, and the militia would gather and practice their drills on the town common, the community became a hive of activity. People would set up stalls and sell food and other produce of the season to people visiting the town. Merchants sold farm equipment and clothing items. Jarvis’ bakery products were very popular with the townspeople and visitors. It has been told that children skipped school to help sell Jarvis’ goods and participate in the festivities of the town. Concord also became an important stop for people seeking refreshments on the route to and from Boston. While the Wright Tavern no longer provided the services of a tavern, Jarvis’ bakery was a place to get fresh bread and other goodies. The Wright Tavern was once again a center of activity for Concord.  

Courtesy of the Wright Tavern

Jarvis had only three months of formal education but read constantly. Early in his career, he considered abandoning the bakery business and going to Harvard but was talked out of it by his partner, Thomas Safford. His love of books, discussions, and learning never waned. Jarvis was an early member of the Concord Social Circle, a group of twenty-five gentlemen who met frequently to discuss town governance, economic issues, and ways to strengthen communication and a sense of community within the town. Jarvis also became a Deacon at the First Parish church. He once considered engaging in politics but decided that his bakery business and community activities needed this full attention. 

The bakery business continued until 1805, when Jarvis’ health began to decline. Francis Jarvis brought his son, Francis, Jr., into the business to help. His health continued to decline, and he sold the Wright Tavern in 1839 to his son, Stephen, for $1. Stephen lived in New Orleans and hired operators for various businesses within the building. He sold Wright Tavern in 1853 to James Billings, a livery and stables operator. Francis moved to Major John Buttrick’s farm and died in 1828 at the age of sixty.  

Following the death of Francis Jarvis Sr., the Wright Tavern had a variety of owners and operators within its walls. It wasn’t until 1885 that the tavern was partially given, partially sold to First Parish in Concord by Reuben Rice and Judge Ebenezer Hoar. They were aware of its historic significance and felt that First Parish, as an institution, would be able to preserve and protect the building for generations to come. They also felt it would provide a good source of income for the church. Indeed, a few years later, and after much-needed repairs, the Wright Tavern opened again as a place for gatherings and refreshments. It operated as an inn and restaurant until the mid-1940s. An early 1900s postcard displayed this slogan that captures the core spirit of the building: “The Wright Tavern:  Food for the hungry, rest for the weary.”

For more information about the Wright Tavern, contact Tom Wilson at tom@wrighttavern.org or visit the website at WrightTavern.org. Donations to support the continued preservation and development of the Wright Tavern are greatly appreciated.