Description of Historic Place

Upper Woodstock Old Tavern and Store consists of a 42’ long x 22’ deep 2 ½-storey wood frame building, built circa 1800, situated at the intersection of Station Street and Route 103 in Upper Woodstock.

Heritage Value

Although little is known regarding the details of the Upper Woodstock Old Tavern and Store's early history, the heritage value of this simple structure is that it is a remarkably well-preserved early 19th-century commercial/residential building which shares similar architectural characteristics with late 18th-century New England stagecoach stop buildings. The store was in business until the 1940s, and strong material evidence suggests that it was also once a tavern - a pairing unique in the region, which adds to its heritage value.

Source: Department Wellness, Culture and Sport - Heritage Branch, Site File: Vol.IX-124

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements relating to the heritage value of Upper Woodstock Old Tavern and Store include:
- vernacular architectural design of the building, expressed with its 5-bay structure, division of mercantile & residential areas and window/door arrangement being clear expressions of the function of the building;
- medium-pitched gable roof with slight roof overhangs of simple design;
- storefront typical of period small-scale commercial/residential buildings;
- exterior cladding, including unadorned trim, corner boards, horizontal wood clapboards on the front façade, and wood shingles at the rear and side façades;
- original fenestration throughout, featuring window arrangements that include: 12 over 8 single-hung windows at the main floor, 6 over 6 single-hung windows at the upper floor roof gable, 25-pane (5x5) fixed windows on both sides of the front store entrance, and various sized single-hung windows throughout the lower floor;
- main entrance of the store featuring a pair of narrow in-swing wood doors with recessed panels;
- central front “house” door is a typical residential 6-panel wood door;
- restrained exterior neoclassical storefront with its four pilasters supporting a simple wood-plank entablature;
- symmetrical pair of red brick chimneys at the roof peak;
- visible heavy-timber structure with mortise and tenon joints;
- spatial arrangement of interior plan, with a central front hallway leading to side and rear rooms, the store/tavern, the upstairs bedrooms, and the lower floor/basement storage rooms;
- main floor enclosed stair with its wainscoted wall in the store/tavern room;
- evidence of a removed wood railing supported by squared balusters on a 45° setting, while a simple squared balustrade remains in place at the upper floor;
- unadorned stairs connecting the main rear hall to the basement/lower floor;
- store/tavern area with its surviving wood shelving, long canvas-topped counter with its full-length stained wood rail on elegantly tapered wood supports, and the sloped storefront window display surfaces enclosed by miniature picket fences dovetailed into the counter;
- exposed softwood flooring boards throughout with hand-forged iron nails;
- plain unadorned window and door trim throughout;
- exposed ceiling beams at the main floor clad in thin painted boards with beaded corners;
- various metal hardware items including original eaves trough supports, storefront shutter bar locks.