430 Front Street - Hotel Belvidere

This frame establishment on the corner of Hardwick and Front Streets was originally built as a store and dwelling in 1831 by Chapman Warner, uncle of S. T. Scranton. It was known as "Belvidere House" and the corner room (which became a bar room) was the store portion. Mr. Warner also kept a lumberyard in connection with its store, now "Hotel Belvidere," which has been recently refurbished with hardwood floors, tumbled marble bathrooms with traditional furnishings and modern amenities.

In 1845, the pioneer Council fixed the following tavern rates:

• Breakfast--$0.25
• Dinner--$0.37 1/2
• Supper--$0.28
• Lodging for the night--$0.12 1/2
• Two or more in one bed--$0.08
• Madeira wine per quart--$1.25
• Sherry wine per quart--$0.75
• Porter or ale per bottle--$0.18 3/4
• West India rum per gill--$0.12 1/2
• New York rum per gill--$0.06 1/4
• Stabling a horse per night and good hay--$0.25
• Pasture for night--$0.12 1/2

Liquid happiness and solid comfort were cheap in the pioneer days of our city fathers.

Local lore maintains there was a speakeasy in the basement during Prohibition, accessed by the exterior stairwell on the west of the building. (See Tour Site #40)