Tuesday, March 31, 2020

for some of the oldest history in the USA, you have to head east, into New England, and get into some small towns. Stockbridge MA happens to have been where Norman Rockwell moved to for his last 35 years, and where Henry Wadsworth Longfellow had a farm


And on Main Street of this small town of 2000 people, happens to be the Red Lion Inn, a 1773 two story tavern and stagecoach stop that has grown over the centuries, and in 1967 it became part of Norman Rockwell's 8 foot long painting, Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas


Which I only learned of last month, http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2020/03/wow-ive-never-seen-this-norman-rockwell.html  but you can read all about it at https://www.redlioninn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/HuffPost-Norman-Rockwell-Holiday-at-The-Red-Lion-Inn.pdf

or any of the many prestigious magazines and newspapers that have featured it: https://www.redlioninn.com/press/  including Conde Nast, Martha Stewart Weddings, Architectural Digest, Forbes, Boston Globe, and Wine Spectator.

The current owners have been running this hotel for the past 50 years, but it's one of the few American hotels to remain in constant operation since before 1800.


In 1775 Ethan Allen stopped in and bought a jackknife. Perhaps he was the first famous patron, but he was not the last. Longfellow was there on New Years Day 1857.

In the 20th century, they called the Red Lion the Inn of Presidents. Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Calvin Coolidge and Franklin Roosevelt stopped by, and signed the guest book. Maybe they spent the night, maybe they simply had a good meal at the inn.

Two of those presidents spent the night due to car troubles;

the night President William Howard Taft arrived at the inn “His Ford motor car broke down near Monument Mountain. He walked from that location to the inn.” -  after the arduous walk, he stayed at the inn waiting until transportation was arranged.

President Theodore Roosevelt came to the inn during Sept 1902 when his carriage was hit on South Street. The president was not injured, but the first member of the Secret Service to guard a president was killed.

https://theberkshireedge.com/connections-the-red-lion-inn-guestbook-summons-history/

If you go through this little town, stop by the Norman Rockwell Museum, they have 998 of his original paintings

5 comments:

  1. Jesse, you find the coolest stuff. My oldest sister years ago found this painting in print in a "Post" magazine I believe. It was a fold out. She carefully took it out of the mag and framed it for my Mom as a Christmas gift. My Mom always loved that picture being she was born and raised in Massachusetts.

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    1. Awww, thank you! It's just a matter of interest in history, and trying to make a better article about the topic than any sources I mine for information.
      What a cool christmas present!
      My mom has very few things hanging on the walls, but since before I was born, she had a framed print of a snow covered hill over looking a small town, at night, with a wolf on the hill looking down towards the town.
      It must be a print from the 40s, 50s, or 60s.
      People used to really appreciate great art, as a print the could frame and hang up at home. Rockwell, Parrish, and a couple others sure did a lot for middle to low income Americans art appreciation and home decor!

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  2. Ah yes, the Red Lion inn, also not far from lime rock park. in the late 90's My father and I used to sit on the porch pre-race and watch all of the Bostonian's with nice cars roll in. Seemed to be a hang out for the Pantera group.

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    1. very cool! You scored a great dad!

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  3. I once had some land in Stockbridge (a grand little town), and one of my little memorabilia is a Massachusetts gun permit signed by "officer Obie," William Obanhein, made famous in the Arlo Guthrie song and movie "Alice's Restaurant." He was actually a nice guy and a good sport, appearing in the movie himself.

    Back in the 60's my parents camped up there on the land, and my mom told a funny story, that she'd gone into town for groceries, and saw a couple of guys walking up the street. She gave them a nasty dirty look, thinking how gauche it was that they were trying so hard to look like Simon and Garfunkel. She was quite embarrassed to find that they were!

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