Government-Set Prices at Early Inns and Ordinarys

During the early court days in Tryon County, inns—then called “ordinarys”—were required to follow fixed prices set by law. Lodging for the night in a good feather bed with clean sheets cost four pence. Breakfast and supper were priced at three pence each, while dinner, which had to include at least two good dishes of meat, cost one shilling. A quart of beer sold for four pence, and a quart of brandy or whiskey toddy cost six pence. These regulations were meant to protect travelers and court visitors from being overcharged at a time when inns were few and court sessions brought large crowds into small communities.

Source: Mamie Jones