Dorchester Illustration no. 2477 Hotel at Lower Mills
Hotel at Lower Mills
Minot Thayer owned a hotel that later became known as Young’s Hotel and also known at some time as the Hotel Milton located on the west side of Adams Street at Lower Mills, approximately where the Baker Chocolate Administration Building was built in 1919. The detail from the 1874 atlas shows Thayer’s property as gray-shaded buildings across from the bend in the Neponset River. Either the building was remodeled or replaced, or the street was widened with the result that the building depicted in the postcard is closer to Adams Street than in the 1874 atlas. (This section of Adams Street has, at times, been called Washington Street).
The History of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, Dorchester, Massachusetts by John R. Chaffee (Boston: The Pilgrim Press, 1917) mentions the old tavern conducted by Minot Thayer, Sr. The 1858 and 1874 maps show the hotel property owned by Minot Thayer. After 1874 the property was acquired by Seth Mann and later conveyed to the Baker Company in the early 1900s.
Message from Milton Historical Society:
As you may know Minot Thayer purchased the Blue Hill Hotel (later called Clark’s Tavern) in Milton in 1832 from Abigail Tucker. He kept it as a hotel for several years then rented it to several individuals: Cephas Belcher (brother-in-law), Mr. Linfield, Vinton Clark of Randolph, Mr. Huckins (son-in-law) and last it was kept by Wm. H. Clark (son-in-law) who either purchased or inherited the hotel after after the death of Minot Thayer. You might enjoy the following incident I found about Minot Thayer and his Lower Mills tavern. It’s from old notebook donated to the Milton Historical Society by Eleanor Martin who had recorded such incidents from talks with her father and grandfather over the years.
Bill Miller, the brother of Annette Miller [who owned “Miss Miller’s Female Academy” aka Milton Hill House], followed the sea. He was “full of rum and full of fight” most of the time. On one occasion he was called as a witness against tavern keeper Minot Thayer. “Mr. Miller,” said the judge, are you acquainted with Mr. Thayer?” “Yes, sir.” “Keeps a tavern at the Lower Mills, doesn’t he?” “Yes, sir.” “Did you ever drink anything at Mr. Thayer’s?” Yes, sir.” “What was it you drank there?” No reply. “Ever drink any rum there?” “Don’t think I ever did, sir.” “Ever drank any brandy there?” “Don’t think I ever did, sir.” “Ever drink any gin there?” “Don’t think I ever did, sir.” “Ever drank any wine there?” “Don’t think I ever did, sir.” “I suppose you know what rum, brandy, gin and wine are, Mr. Miller.” Bill straightened up: “Sir, I have drunk rum in Jamaica, gin in Holland, brandy and wine in France,” “but I never drank anything of that sort at Mr. Thayer’s.” “But you say you have drank at Mr. Thayer’s. What was it you drank? What do you call it?” “I call it – a damn – villainous – compound!”