Fig. 1: Tavern sign reads “Entertainmt,” and is dated “1810.” Author’s collection. Photography by Williamstown Art Conservation Center.

At the Philadelphia Armory Antiques Show in 2012, we acquired a tavern sign that reads “Entertainmt” [sic] at the top and “1810” at the bottom (Fig. 1). On both sides of the five-foot-high sign is an image of a Native American similar to the Native American on the Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts engraved by Paul Revere and adopted as the state seal by Governor John Hancock in 1780 (Fig. 2). On both the seal and the tavern sign, the Native American wears a feathered headdress, loincloth, leggings, moccasins, and the wampum necklace of office (Fig. 3). Both hold bows in their right hand, while their other hand holds a downward pointing arrow. A star over the right shoulder signifies that Massachusetts was one of the original thirteen states.

The Native American on the tavern sign has a dagger and a tomahawk hanging from his belt. Weathering has caused his arms to disappear and the forest above and behind him has been reduced to faint green shadows; small trees and grasses are worn down to the white ground paint. At the bottom of the sign is a later band of dark green paint. However, the faint name of the original tavern owner, “R. Rounds,” can be made out beneath this paint.

Where did the sign originate? Since a similar image of a Native American was on the Massachusetts Bay Colony Seal from 1629 to 1686 and is on the present Massachusetts state seal, Massachusetts seemed like a good starting point. The only R. Rounds associated with a tavern in New England in 1810 was Rufus Rounds (1782–1825), in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. Rufus was the eldest son of Elder Sylvester Round (1762–1824), who was the pastor of the Six-Principal Baptist Church founded in 1740 by Pastor Richard Round.

Elder Sylvester Round built a house in 1782, and around 1800 added an adjoining tavern.1 Round’s church was less than a mile away from the tavern, which provided refreshment after Sunday services and for those attending town meetings. The tavern licensing records of Rehoboth show that Elder Sylvester Round was licensed to sell liquor in 1802, 1808, and 1809. His son, Rufus, was licensed to run a tavern from 1806 to 1810. In 1811, Sylvester sold the house and tavern to Rufus for $100. Given the sign is dated 1810, the transfer of the business likely began the previous year and Rufus, as proprietor, obtained the sign to further promote the tavern business. The Rehoboth tavern records end in 1812 so no further business details are available.2

Fig. 2: Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Rufus sold the property to Seth Ballou for $600 in 1820. In 1821, Ballou sold it to Samuel Sanford, who was designated “a gentleman,” and as such was unlikely to operate a tavern. In 1829 Sanford gave it to his son, Elijah J. Sanford, and in the same year it was sold to Grenville Stevens. Stevens kept a tavern, store, and post office there, and lived in the house until 1859, and was the likely person who painted the green band over R. Rounds on the sign. His son, Francis W. Stevens, lived in the house until 1919. The Stevens family lived there for ninety years and the location became known as Steven’s Corner.3

The house still stands today at the head of Anawan Street, at the intersection with Tremont Street, the main road between Providence, Rhode Island, and Taunton, Massachusetts (Fig. 4). A photograph of the house, circa 1920, shows that the original tavern, located to the right, had been removed by then.

The Native American on the tavern sign is quite possibly meant to be Massasoit, the great sachem of the seven tribes of the Wampanoag Confederacy. This is especially appropriate for Rehoboth since the land for the settlement of the town was purchased from Massasoit in 1641.4 Further, Massasoit was born in about 1581 only fifteen miles away from the Rounds tavern, in a village between Bristol and Warren, Rhode Island. Anawan Street runs directly south to his birthplace.

Fig. 3: Detail, tavern sign.

Massasoit was a key figure in the survival of the Pilgrims. He taught the settlers Native American agriculture techniques, preventing their certain starvation. He also negotiated a treaty guaranteeing their security in exchange for their alliance against the Naragansett.5 The treaty was kept for the next forty-one years until his death in 1661. War followed, however, when Massasoit’s second son, Metacom, also known as King Philip, succeeded him. King Philip’s War was the bloodiest war in America’s history, claiming more lives in proportion to the population than any other war on American soil.

Another possible candidate for the subject of the sign— since the tavern was on Anawan Street—is Anawan, the Chief of the Wampanoags under Metacom. He was a fierce warrior in King Philip’s War and was captured at Anawan Rock a few miles south of the tavern. However, since the Native American on the sign holds an arrow pointing down, indicating his peaceful intentions, the image is more likely to represent Massasoit. This humane and peaceful individual was a perfect image for the R. Rounds tavern sign.

Fig. 4: Rounds tavern in 2013. Photography by the authors.

Peter and Leslie Warwick are independent scholars specializing in American folk art.

This article was originally published in the Autumn 2014 issue of Antiques & Fine Art magazine, a digitized version of which is available on afamag.com. InCollect.com is a division of Antiques & Fine Art, AFAnews, and AFA Publishing.