New Boston Inn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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New Boston Inn
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New Boston Inn
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 101 N. Main St., Sandisfield, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1750 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 88001459 |
| Added to NRHP | September 1, 1988 |
The New Boston Inn is a really old and special building in Sandisfield, Massachusetts. It's located right in the heart of the New Boston village. This inn has been around since about 1750, making it one of the oldest buildings in town! For over 200 years, it has been a welcoming place for travelers to stay and rest. The New Boston Inn was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 because of its important history.
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Discover the New Boston Inn
The New Boston Inn stands in a very important spot in the center of New Boston village. It's right where two old roads, Massachusetts Routes 8 and 57, meet. Close by, there's a bridge over the West Branch Farmington River. This bridge is on the site of one of the very first bridges built in what is now Sandisfield.
A Look at the Inn's Design
The inn is a two-and-a-half story building made of wood. It has a classic style from the Federal period, which was popular a long time ago. The main entrance is very fancy! It has windows on both sides of the door and a decorative piece above it. Right above the door, on the second floor, you'll see a beautiful Palladian window. This type of window has three parts, with a tall arched window in the middle.
Inside the inn, one of the most interesting parts is the ballroom on the second floor. It has a cool arched ceiling! If you look at the building, you'll also notice a two-story section that stretches out to the west. This part is probably the oldest piece of the entire inn. Another long two-story section extends north from there.
A Journey Through Time
The area that is now Sandisfield was first settled by people in the 1740s. One of the first settlers was a man named Daniel Brown. Records show that his house was standing on this very spot in 1752. Daniel Brown was also known as an innkeeper, meaning he ran a place for travelers to stay.
The way the oldest part of the inn looks matches the idea that it was once Daniel Brown's house. Later, in 1792, Daniel's son, Sanford Brown, took over the property. Sanford was likely the one who built what we see as the main part of the inn today.
From Stagecoaches to Cars
The New Boston Inn became very successful because it was on a major stagecoach route. Stagecoaches were like old-fashioned buses that carried people between Hartford, Connecticut and Albany, New York. Travelers needed a place to rest, eat, and sleep, and the inn was perfect for that!
However, when railroads started to become popular, fewer people traveled by stagecoach. This meant less business for the inn. But the inn was updated around 1885 and became a "country hotel." It got a new boost of life in the 1920s when more people started driving cars. Tourists traveling by car began visiting the area, bringing new guests to the historic New Boston Inn.
 | Bayard Rustin |
 | Jeannette Carter |
 | Jeremiah A. Brown |
