ONCE UPON AN INN One For The History (Guest) Books The Grafton Inn Grafton, Vermont For over 200 years The Grafton Inn has welcomed travelers, making it one of the longest-operating inns in the country—and its stories read like a United States history textbook. Money earned in the California Gold Rush funded its restoration; the Great Depression nearly ended the business; and figures like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Rudyard Kipling, Teddy Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson have all been guests. Just as it did back in 1801, the inn “remains the anchor for the town today,” says innkeeper Angela Comstock. Experience the inn’s 42 guest rooms, two on-site restaurants, and the same hospitality that’s kept the lights on for two centuries. More on page 70 . Clockwise from top left: The Grafton Inn in the late 1800s; the courtyard at The Grafton Inn today Glimpse into the past at these historic inns Laurel Oak Inn Gainesville, Florida During the 1960s, Gainesville, Florida was known as the Berkeley of the Southeast, and right in the middle of its Hippie Hill neighborhood stood Laurel Oak Inn , formerly known as the Lassiter House. This 1885-era home was built by Wilburn Lassiter and his second wife, Fanny, but by the ‘60s, the mansion had been turned into apartments more suitable for starving artists like a young Tom Petty, who reportedly lived there in 1969. Since undergoing significant restoration throughout the 1990s, Laurel Oak Inn has, and continues to, welcome music buffs, history fans, and Sunshine State visitors to experience its luxurious and storied past. More on page 39 . Clockwise from top left: The Laurel Oak Inn’s vibrant exterior; inviting guest room with fresh flowers 8 Select Registry’s Inn Scene Spring/Summer 2023
Select Registry - Inn Scene Spring/Summer 2023: Page 8
