Existing comment:
Restoration of the Lemon House:
In an ongoing effort to restore the Lemon House to its original 1834 to 1847 appearance, the National Park Service has conducted an extensive program of historical, architectural, and archeological research. The findings have been used to refurnish the first floor rooms as they would have been used by the Lemon family and their employees and guests during the heyday of the Allegheny Portage Railroad.
What is known about everyday life in Samuel Lemon's tavern? Historical documents reveal that Lemon operated a successful tavern at the head of Incline Number 6. The county tax assessor, for example, doubled the value of the Lemon House in 1835 and it is likely that many of the 25,000 persons who traveled the portage that year enjoyed a meal or a drink at Lemon's establishment. Another indicator of the tavern's success is the 1840 census report which shows Lemon employing one farmhand, five miners, and five serving women.
The National Park Service has relied on detective work -- architectural analysis, archaeological excavations, local knowledge and tradition, inventories from similar taverns, and period illustrations -- to make reasonable conjectures on the appearance and use of the Lemon House. Unfortunately, this research has not uncovered other valuable documents such as personal descriptions, an inventory, or travel accounts directly related to life at the Lemon House.
Room #1
4 beds, bedding and bedsteads ... 88.00
1 bureau ...
1 looking glass .. 2.00
1 washstand and toilet .. 2.00
4 chairs ... 2.00
The inventory from the Jackson House in nearby Huntington County lists four bedboards in one room. Private bedrooms in a public inn were rare, so it was common for travelers to share sleeping accommodations. Taverns of the day were not so much places of luxury as they were necessary havens and centers of social interchange.
The floor plan of the Lemon House suggests that it too could have served as an overnight hostelry, although no inventory, paintings, or other evidence that has been found supports this. |