"Old Tavern Tales" at Guilford Free Library

“I am the old Maple Tree that stands in front of the old tavern. I am over 200 years old. Medad dug me up at the edge of the woods as an eight-year-old sapling and planted me beside the retaining wall of the driveway to his new tavern. This is just after the United State was born. Eight other fine maples were planted along the wall, shading both the driveway and Spencer’s Road (later known as Three Mile Course). From my vantage point in the middle of the row, plus my height of well over seventy feet, I have seen the comings and goings of several generations of the families of the owners of the Inn. Trees are like people, some remember well, others not worth a damn, I don’t remember everything but I’ll see how much I can tell.” –Old Tavern Tales, Len Hubbbard

This is a short passage from the publication Old Tavern Tales, a collection of stories by Len Hubbard, who lived most of his life at the Medad Stone Tavern in Guilford.  Hubbard’s detailed descriptions of life at the Tavern and growing up in Guilford fill and flow through this beautiful text, documenting countless years of the well-known Guilford monument, as well as town life.

Tonight at the Guilford Free Library, The Friends of the Guilford Free Library and the Guilford Keeping Society celebrate the publication of Hubbard’s memoirs. Members of the Keeping Society who produced the book, including Carolyn Cooper, Alan Haesche, Kathryn Greene, Joel Helander, Margaret Homans, and Debra and Richard Forselius, will share their favorite passages. A slideshow featuring old and new photographs of the Tavern and the town will also be presented, and the book itself presents a myriad of old photographs of the town and Hubbard’s adventures in it. Copies of the book will also be available for sale, and proceeds will benefit the Friends of the Library. The event is free of charge and open to all ages.

The Medad Stone Tavern was one of two taverns owned by Medad Stone, “But in fact, it was never actually used as a Tavern,” explains Patti Baldwin, reference librarian at Guilford Free Library. “It was built in 1803, and played host to several families who lived at the residence throughout the years,” says Baldwin.

“Leonard D. Hubbard willed the Guilford Keeping Society the Medad property, as well as his personal writings, notes and papers that included the unpublished book he was writing, that is now Old Tavern Tales,” said Baldwin. Len Hubbard himself was a member and long time supporter of the society. He was a former town treasurer, dock master, and U.S. Coast Guard marine safety instruction. While Hubbard passed away in 2001 at the age of 91, his namesake and that of the Medad Tavern will forever be remembered thanks to the publication of these Tales, which pay tribute to his life and the cherished memories he had of his beloved hometown of Guilford.

You can learn more about the Medad Stone Tavern on the Guilford Keeping Society’s website. Space is limited at tonight’s event at Guilford Free Library, please visit their website for further information or to reserve your spot.