Sturbridge in Worcester County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
Commerce on the Common
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 20, 2018
1. Commerce on the Common Marker
Inscription.
Commerce on the Common. . The Publick House, founded by civic leader Ebenezer Crafts in 1771, and the adjacent retail building are survivors of the time when the Common was the commercial center of Sturbridge. The inn served as a stage stop on the Worcester-Stafford Turnpike, hosted Lafayette on his triumphal 1824 tour, and has entertained visitors ever since. Carriage-makers, tailors, painters, and general retailers occupied the adjacent structure (once three buildings, now joined as one). Other private homes around the Common once had similar uses, but the power of the Quinebaug River and the demands of 19th-century technology moved the town's economic center west to its village of Fiskdale.
The Publick House, founded by civic leader Ebenezer Crafts in 1771, and the adjacent retail building are survivors of the time when the Common was the commercial center of Sturbridge. The inn served as a stage stop on the Worcester-Stafford Turnpike, hosted Lafayette on his triumphal 1824 tour, and has entertained visitors ever since. Carriage-makers, tailors, painters, and general retailers occupied the adjacent structure (once three buildings, now joined as one). Other private homes around the Common once had similar uses, but the power of the Quinebaug River and the demands of 19th-century technology moved the town's economic center west to its village of Fiskdale.
Location. 42° 6.435′ N, 72° 4.749′ W. Marker is in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in Worcester County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street (Massachusetts Route 131) and Publick House Road, on the right when traveling east on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 277 Main Street, Sturbridge MA 01566, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 20, 2018
2. Commerce on the Common Marker
The Publick House is in the background
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 20, 2018
3. The Publick House
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 20, 2018
4. The Publick House Sign
Credits. This page was last revised on October 16, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 15, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 195 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 15, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
