DISBROW-L Archives

From: "John Squires" <>
Subject: [DISBROW-L] A Correction, Re: Westport Disbrow Tavern!
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 20:31:24 -0400

I have some VERY astonishing news! The Westport (CT) Historical
Society has located a house, still standing in Westport, which they believe
to be that of a "Captain Elias Disbrow" (whoever he was!). They have even
so labelled this building exactly that apparently as a part of their
"official" tour. This 1840 house is located at #1 Hale's Lane and Hales
Rd., according to archivist Barbara Raymond, as I understand this from our
conversation just yesterday (check out your 'Yahoo Maps'...). Apparently
they may have put up a plaque or sign as the "Captain Elias Disbrow House"
(if I'm not mistaken, tho I was so astounded I cannot be sure until I hurry
down there to see for myself!).
I was astonished because I have had NO idea of ANY such house,
especially since Elias Disbrow, Sr., my direct ancestor, died by 12 Jan 1832
in Westport , and his son "Elias", Jr (not my direct forebear) died by 26
Nov 1843 at Troy NY where he also married 1808 (having removed from Westport
by then, apparently). I have had no knowledge of any other sea "captain"
in this line besides my own Captain David Disbrow, who was from Fairfield
County (& married at NYC "from Westport CT" in 1838 to Catherine Hull of a
very old Fairfield family too). My Captain David was living in New York
City by the late 1840's upon his death in 1849 you know about (the 1840
census says he was in Stratford, in "navigation of the ocean", according to
Mike's book). I would be astonished, but not surprised if the Westport
Historical Society has somehow made a mistake (since they could as well
simply believe this is all somehow "ancient history" now), and they have
instead found the very house of my own ancestor sea captain at some interim
from his perambulating the area down to NYC, what say....?
There was yet another Elias Disbrow at this time (also see p. 233), but
he was son of Asahel and was "probably" born in Greene Co. NY, 9 Jan 1808
according to Mike's vol.1 (recall my river Captain Scudder Squires, was also
of Greene County at Coxsackie). "By 1850 he was farming in Milan Twnshp,
Erie Co, Ohio" and died in Wayne Co. MI., Dec 1900. This man was a farmer
and not a seaman. In any case, it would be fun to discover any other
seafaring man in the line who might explain my own ancestor's aqueous
predilection....
This news came to me today, by phone, because I was checking into a
point of information I mentioned to you all again regarding the "Disbrow
Tavern". It has always bothered me as to just what/which Tavern George
Washington was supposed to have visited where he didn't much like the
"victuals" (see Mike's vol 2, page 17), since I also remember reading that
same story being told about a DIFFERENT Tavern in Westport. Well, sad to
say it, but ours is NOT the tavern in question, as visited by "father of the
country" in 1775, anyway. Perhaps D. Hamilton Hurd, writing in 1881 for his
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY got these two taverns, and two Washington
visits confused, thereby conflating the visits of 1775 & 1789....
Here is what Crofut says in GUIDE TO HISTORY & HISTORIC SITES OF
CONNECTICUT (with 5 listed references, page 162): "... Washington must
have passed through Westport, then a part of the towns of Norwalk, Weston,
and Fairfield, in 1756, 1775, 1776, and 1789. (See Part I, chapter III)
It is said locally that in June, 1775, Rev. Hezekiah Ripley, D. D., a
chaplain in the army, escorted Washington along Greens Farms to the
Stratford ferry. On Wednesday, November 1, 1789, the entry in Washington's
DIARIES reads: "Baited at Fairfield; and dined and lodged at a Major
Marvin's, 9 miles further; which is not a good house, though the people of
it were disposed to do all they could to accomodate me. Thursday, 12th. A
little before sunrise we left Marvin's, and breakfasted at Stamford, 13
miles distant, reached the Widow Haviland's..." Major Ozias Marvin kept
a Tavern on the Westport-Norwalk road, at the intersection of the King's
Highway with the turnpike. Washington is said to have eaten only bread and
milk, and the table and bowl which he used have been preserved by the Marvin
descendants. " page 162.....
I double checked on all of this with Barbara Raymond today (whom I
have not seen for almost two years it must be now!). She confirmed there
was a "Marvin's Tavern" on the west side of the Saugatuck River where this
incident took place. The Disbrow Tavern was on the east side near the
present center of town. Marvin's was at the Norwalk border on the Post
Road (Site is now near a "very large Union building" at So. King's Hiway).
SO, I guess our good DISBROW name is "off the hook" when it comes to scant
hospitality. At least we should be thankful it was not OUR forebears who
could come up up with virtually nothing better than mere bread and milk for
the greatest man of the century (& of ours?? ...well, NO doubt!!) who
himself would then have to betray such an honest resentment concerning. He
probably made note of all this just in order to avoid any FUTURE visit to
Marvin's, and thereby to steer over to our Disbrow Tavern instead. Since he
made no remark about previous famliarity with Marvin's establishment, can we
not assume that he may well have visited our Tavern already on one of his
THREE previous visits to Westport, just as the otherwise mistaken Hurd
indicates....??
Enjoy, Stephen T. Squires

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• [DISBROW-L] A Correction, Re: Westport Disbrow Tavern! by "John Squires" <>