The Cross Tavern was erected in 1709, and stood on the north-west corner of North and Cross streets.

The Crown Coffee House stood on the south-west corner of State street and Chatham row, and was built in 1710 by Gov.  Belcher; and Mrs. Anna Swords was its first landlord, and she was succeeded in 1751 by Robert Shelcock.  The Scots’ Charitable Society frequently held its meetings there.

The Bunch of Grapes Tavern was built in 1713, and stood on the north-west corner of State and Kilby streets.  Its first landlord was Francis Holmes, who was succeeded in 1731 by William Coffin, by Joshua Barker in 1749, and by Col.  Joseph Ingersoll in 1764.  It was noted as being the best “punch-house” in Boston.  Lafayette was a guest there in 1774.  In front of it, on the 4th of August, 1806, Charles Austin was killed by Thomas O. Selfridge in self-defence.  The Scots’ Charitable Society frequently held its meetings there.

The George Tavern was built in 1720, and stood on the north-west corner of Washington and Northampton streets.  It afforded shelter for the patriots in annoying the British during the siege.  Its extensive orchard and gardens comprised seventeen acres, and extended south to Roxbury street, and west to Charles river, which, until the modern Back Bay improvement, extended to the west side of Tremont street.  The General Court, as well as some of the law courts, sat there prior to 1730.  The American post was located there in 1775, which was burnt by the British at night in July of that year.  It was near that spot, in 1824, when Lafayette visited Boston, a triumphal arch was thrown across Washington street, bearing the couplet, written by Charles Sprague,—­

  We bow not the neck, we bend not the knee. 
  But our hearts, LAFAYETTE! we surrender to thee.

The Royal Exchange Tavern was built in 1726, and stood on the south-west corner of State and Exchange streets, the site of the Merchants’ Bank building.  It gave its name to the street on its easterly side.  Luke Vardy was its first landlord, who was succeeded in 1747 by Robert Stone.  It was in this building, in 1728, that the altercation began which ended in the first duel fought in Boston, when Benjamin Woodbridge was killed by Henry Phillips.  The Scots’ Charitable Society frequently held its meetings there.

The Old Mansion House was built in 1732, and stood on the south side of Milk street, between Hawley and Arch streets, on the site of the Bowdoin building.  It stood a little back from the street, with large American elms in front, and was a stopping place for old stage lines.  Hon. Robert C. Winthrop was born there, and Hon. Henry Dearborn occupied it at the time of his decease.

The Blue Anchor Tavern (the third of that name) was built in 1735, and stood on the north-east corner of Water and Batterymarch streets.  It was kept by Joseph Wilson.