Governor Oliver Wolcott, Sr. Branch #10

Chartered: 28 May 1928
Home Area: Torrington
Namesake: Oliver Wolcott, Sr.

Home of Gov. Oliver Wolcott, Sr., located on South Street in Litchfield, Connecticut.

On Sunday, May 28, 2006, Walt Beeman, Russ Cashman, Charles Reimer, and Ken Buckbee of The Gov. Oliver Wolcott, Sr. Branch's color guard, participated in a celebration commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Cogswell Tavern in New Preston, CT. We also enjoyed a guided tour of the now privately owned home. Cathie Love, a ninth generation descendent of William Cogswell provided much of the following information.

Cogswell Tavern was built in 1756 by William Cogswell when he was about 22 years old. William Cogswell married Anna Whittlesey in 1762, and eventually they had ten children.

In Colonial times, travelers needed taverns to get rest and nourishment for themselves and their horses.  Taverns were also the place were much of the community’s business was discussed and conducted.  Tavern licenses were awarded only to a "man of outstanding character and importance in his community". 

William Cogswell was a First Selectman, a member of the Committee of Correspondence, and a Justice of the Peace.

In 1779, William was Captain of a company in Lieut.-Col. Samuel Canfield's Regiment of Militia.  Captain Cogswell's Co. was one of those that answered the New Haven Alarm in response to the attack by the British there on July 5, 1779.  It is interesting to note that Major General Oliver Wolcott was commanding troops at the western end of the State during the New Haven Alarm.  In May of 1781, Cogswell was promoted to Major in Col. Increase Moseley, Jr.'s 13th Regiment of Militia.

While William was away during the war, his wife was left to manage things in his absence.  Family lore has it that local Tories would sometimes gather around the premises and try to intimidate the children and Mrs. Cogswell, perhaps by saying "Major Cogswell is dead and now is a good time for the Tories".  More than once, tired of their impertinence, she armed herself with a chair and cleared the house in quick time.  In later life she was quoted as saying "I never feared a Tory".  Another interesting story tells that the public decided that a certain Mr. Patterson, a noted Tory was to be tarred and feathered.  He was seized and brought to Cogswell Tavern.  Mrs. Cogswell warned them not to touch the tar down in the cellar nor the feathers upstairs.  This obviously told the crowd where the articles could be found.  Mr. Patterson was taken to a nearby oak tree and the coat of tar and feathers were applied with great thoroughness and satisfaction.

Legend also has it that "one morning after a long previous day, the cooks were sitting down to breakfast and one said, 'I hope we shall be permitted to eat in peace for once.'  Just then a Continental Army officer came galloping up announcing that three hundred soldiers wanted breakfast immediately".  It is believed that General Washington stopped at Cogswell Tavern three times.  Family tradition holds that it was while en route to New Preston that General Washington was told of Benedict Arnold's treason (Sept. 25, 1780). It is said that he was so upset that "he couldn't set and paced the room holding a bowl of warm milk".  While the family is not certain where Washington paced with his milk, they like to imagine that it was in the Tap Room of the house.  We know for a fact that he did stop at the Cogswell Tavern on May 25, 1781, because Washington noted in his diary, "Breakfasted at Squire Cogswell's".

By the time William Cogswell died in 1784 he had acquired over 2000 acres and owned a country store, an iron foundry, a saw and grist mill, a potashery, a distillery, malt-house and the tavern.  From his orchards a thousand barrels of cider were made each year.