Michie Tavern

That’s pronounced “Mickey Tavern” for all those out-of-towners out there. 😉

Michie Tavern is a great place to visit, open to the public just about everyday and located about a half mile before you reach the entrance of Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.

The Tavern offers tours of this historic structure, and from their kitchen they serve up some of the best fried chicken that you have ever tasted. It’s well worth the visit.

The folks there have always been very kind to me and they will occasionally call up me for assistance with the upkeep of some of their historic structures. Sometimes they will offer me a piece of chicken or a slice of pie as extra incentive. It works… trust me. lol

The most interesting restoration work that I ever did there was replacing the treads on the Taverns staircase. The original treads had reached the point of structural failure, where they either needed to be replaced, or the public would be denied access to the second floor.

It was a very challenging undertaking.

Every tread was a different length and width, none were what I would refer to as a rectangle, and each was somehow wedged in place. The staircase was not designed for repair… it was designed to last forever… and if for some reason, centuries later, it did need repair… well… unlucky is the chap that gets that job!

And that, would be me.

I like a challenge, I like fussy things. But there was an added twist, this was a museum that was open to the public and they didn’t want to close it for repair. So, they asked if I could come in at night, after closing, and replace the stair treads.

OK… fine.

I came in that first night carrying my tools, as the staff, dressed in their 18th century clothing, came filing out. One of the owners of the Tavern was there to ensure that all was well and to show me how to lock up when I was done.

It was then that she felt compelled to tell me that she had on multiple occasions heard and seen ghosts within the house. She went into great detail about each encounter, and then I found that other staff members would join in and share their experiences. All assured me that these “guests” were friendly. Swell.

It took me almost two weeks of working a few hours each night to replace all the treads. I needed to be so careful not to damage anything as I struggled to remove the old treads that refused to give up the ghost, and then to create exact replacements, and then install them.

I never saw a ghost or a spirit there while I was working. I sure heard many pops and groans from the old tavern, each giving me a surge of adrenaline. My mind kept me plenty alert to my unusual environment… for sure. Sometimes I would turn my radio on just so I could focus on my work. After all, everyone knows that classic rock will protect you from ghosts.

I must say it was a rare treasured moment working there. Not many people have the opportunity to spend time alone in a historic museum. Not only is the house old, and decorated to be old, and furnished with antiques to recreate colonial America… as it was… down to the smallest detail… even the lighting felt like it was from another time.

If you ever get a chance to take a candlelight tour of a historic home, seize the opportunity. You will witness a different world. I did just that, for two weeks at Michie Tavern.

Originally posted 2015-03-13 15:00:03.