Christopher James lived on South Main Street in a farmhouse that became the Red Lion Inn. His grandfather, Thomas James, and son, Philip James, first converted the house into an inn called the Central House. The inn became the most popular gathering place in Cohasset. Christopher expanded the building, renaming it the Red Lion Inn. The inn served food and sheltered travelers and became a regular gathering place for meetings and town gossip.
In 1796, at the inn's tavern, an idea was proposed to establish a private school for Cohasset children, similar to Derby Academy. James was a strong supporter of the town and invested in the school. His name is on the Proprietors list of Cohasset Academy. He was a generous man and in 1804, with work completed on the harbor, he supplied the laborers with "…biscuit, hard bread, potatoes, sugar, rum, chocolate…" He died in 1810, and his son, Eleazer James, inherited the Red Lion Inn, becoming the last James to own it. Christopher James' grave is the largest headstone in the cemetery.
