Elmendorph Inn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Elmendorph Inn
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West elevation, 2015
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Red Hook, New York |
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| Built | ca. 1750 |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001850 |
| Added to NRHP | September 20, 1978 |
The Elmendorph Inn is the oldest building in the village of Red Hook, New York. It is located at the corner of North Broadway (which is part of US 9) and Cherry Street. This historic building was constructed around the mid-1700s. It first served as an inn, providing a place for travelers to rest along the busy Albany Post Road.
Later, in the early 1800s, the inn became an important meeting spot. The Red Hook Town Board held their meetings there for many years. The building has had several owners throughout its long history. The Elmendorph family is the earliest known owner, giving the inn its name. In the 1830s, the inn was made bigger and updated. Eventually, it stopped being an inn and became a home. After a recent renovation, the Elmendorph Inn now serves as a community center. In 1978, it was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its importance.
Exploring the Elmendorph Inn's Design
The Elmendorph Inn is a two-story building. It has nine sections, or "bays," and is made of wood with clapboard siding. The roof is a special type called a modified gambrel roof, which has two slopes on each side. Four brick chimneys stick out from the roof. At the back of the building, there's a small addition. The inn stands on the north corner of the intersection, just a short distance from the famous Village Diner.
Inside the building, you can still see many parts that were added in the early 1800s. These include wooden doors, walls made of lath and plaster, and decorative wooden strips called chair rails. You can also see the wooden beams that support the ceilings. The main hallway has a curved wall, which was designed to fit the staircase. If you look closely, you can find signs of how the building was expanded over time, like old fireplaces that have been bricked up.
Inside the Historic Inn
On the ground floor of the Elmendorph Inn, there are four fireplaces that you can see. Each of the two main reception rooms has a fireplace. There is also a fireplace in the dining room. The kitchen has a special fireplace with a beehive oven built into it. This type of oven was used for baking long ago.
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Small reception room, ground floor.
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Small reception room, ground floor.
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Large reception room, ground floor.
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Kitchen fireplace with beehive oven.
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Kitchen fireplace and oven in use.
A Look Back at the Inn's History
It's a bit tricky to find old records about buildings in Red Hook from the 1700s. This is because most of the land was leased from a local landowner named Henry Beekman. Also, the village didn't officially become a town until 1894. A big fire before that year destroyed many old buildings, making it even harder to learn about the past. Experts have figured out that the inn was built in the mid-1700s by carefully studying its design and other records from that time.
For most of the 1700s, Red Hook was just the inn and a few other houses. It served travelers on the Albany Post Road, which is now Route 9. The inn became a regular stop for travelers by 1785. It seems to have had several owners. The first time it was called "Elmendorph's Inn" was on a map from 1797. By 1811, it was known as Loop's Hotel, named after its owner, Jacob Loop. His deed for 12.5 acres (about 5 hectares) is the first record of someone owning the property.
The Red Hook Town Board started meeting at the inn in 1815. Many important meetings were held there over the years. The very first Dutchess County Fair also took place on the inn's grounds. When Jacob Loop passed away in 1819, a man named George Ring bought the inn. He tried to open a store there in 1820, but it didn't do well. Because of this, the entire property was sold at a sheriff's sale five years later. The new buyer quickly sold it to Peter DeReimer, who then sold it to Jacobus Eckhart in 1827.
Sometime in the 1830s, the inn was made larger. It was extended both to the north and south, reaching its current size. The original gambrel roof was changed to look like a gable roof, which has two sloping sides that meet at a ridge. The inside of the inn was also updated in the Federal style, which was popular at the time. Many of these improvements can still be seen today.
The next owner, David Wager, lived in the inn for a while before buying it in 1835. The Town Board continued to hold meetings there until 1842. Three years later, Wager gave some of the land on the east side of the property to the local Methodist Episcopal Society to use as a cemetery. He sold the property to Augustus Martin shortly before he died in 1854. Augustus Martin was an important person in the community. He was a state assemblyman and a town supervisor.
The Martin family decided to stop using the building as a business. They changed it into a home for two families. Later, Edward Martin, a family member, ran a school in the building. In the 1890s, this school even had kindergarten classes for young children. The building stayed in the Martin family until 1933. At that time, the land was divided up and sold. Only the inn's half-acre (2,000 square meters) of land remained. During the 1900s, heating and plumbing were added to the building.
By 1977, the Elmendorph Inn was in poor condition and was almost torn down. Luckily, a group called "Friends of Elmendorph" bought it. They worked hard to renovate the building over the next 12 years, bringing it back to its current beautiful state. When the inn was listed on the National Register in 1978, it had a front porch. This porch has since been removed. Also, the shingled siding that was on the building was taken off to show the original clapboard underneath.
Today, the Elmendorph Inn is home to Historic Red Hook. This is a non-profit group of volunteers who work to collect, save, and share the history of Red Hook. They take care of the historic Elmendorph Inn and use it as a community center. They create fun public programs and work with other groups in the community.
