Clarendon House (Clarendon Springs, Vermont) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Clarendon House
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Clarendon Springs Ln., Clarendon, Vermont |
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| Area | 12 acres (4.9 ha) |
| Built | 1835 |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000146 |
| Added to NRHP | May 17, 1976 |
The Clarendon House is an old hotel building in Clarendon, Vermont. It was built around 1835 and made bigger in the 1850s. This building is a great example of how resort hotels looked before the American Civil War. It's special because it hasn't changed much since then. The Clarendon House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. As of 2015, the building and others nearby were empty and for sale.
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What is the Clarendon House?
The Clarendon House is located in a quiet, countryside part of Clarendon. It sits near the Clarendon River. You can find it on the east side of Walker Mountain Road. It is part of a small group of buildings in the village of Clarendon Springs.
A Look Inside and Out
This large building has three stories and is made of brick. It is nine window-widths wide and five window-widths deep. The roof has a pointed shape, called a gable roof. It has two rows of small windows on one side and one row on the other. These small windows stick out from the roof and are called dormers.
The ends of the building, where the roof slopes down, are made of wood. Parts of the third floor are also made of wood. These wooden sections are covered with overlapping boards called clapboards. A special part of the building is its three-story porch. This porch wraps around three sides of the building. It is held up by tall, round columns called Doric columns.
A Hotel with a Past
The Clarendon House was built around 1835. It is one of the oldest hotels in the northeastern United States. It was built for people visiting mineral springs. Mineral springs are places where special water comes out of the ground. People believed this water had healing powers.
The Healing Waters
People knew about the mineral springs in this area since the 1700s. They thought the water could make them feel better. Thomas McLaughlin built the Clarendon House around 1835. He wanted to make money from the many visitors who came for the springs.
Ups and Downs
The hotel became very popular, especially after railroads were built nearby. Many guests came from southern states. However, the American Civil War (1861-1865) stopped most of this business. After the war, new owners tried to make the hotel popular again. But people's tastes changed. The Clarendon House couldn't compete with newer resorts. These new places offered more activities.
In the 1900s, the building was used for different things. It was a restaurant at one time. It also housed a business that sold old items. As of early 2016, the Clarendon House was empty and for sale.
