Visit historic Merwinsville Hotel in Gaylordsville during June 8 Open House Day
The Merwinsville Hotel will join the statewide “Celebrate Connecticut” Open House Day June 8 with free admission all day and a complimentary wine glass to the first 25 visitors.
The historic building will be open for tours from 11 a.m. to 4 pm. Visitors will be able to step back into time, as hosts guide visitors while sharing tidbits of information about its history. Railroad buffs will be fascinated by the interior that includes a ticket counter and items used during the hotel’s active railroad period.
The state’s Open House Day has been offered for 15 years and features attractions, museums, galleries and organizations in towns and cities all across Connecticut opening their doors and welcoming visitors.
The Merwinsville Hotel at 1 Brown’s Forge offers a look back at life during the 1800s, as well as providing a number of items of railroad memorabilia in a small museum on the second floor. The hotel opened for business in 1843 as a meal stop for the Housatonic Railroad.
The hotel continues to undergo restoration. During recent years, the third-floor ballroom has undergone major structural improvements. However, there is always more to do with this structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome. Refreshments will be served and the first 25 people to attend will receive a complimentary Merwinsville Hotel wine glass.
Also open in Gaylordsville the same day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. will be the Little Red Schoolhouse, which was built in 1740 and used until 1967. The schoolhouse, which was restored by the town of New Milford in 1998, is on Gaylord Road. It is operated by the Gaylordsville Historical Society. The Little Red Schoolhouse was the last one-room schoolhouse in operation in the state of Connecticut.
The Merwinsville Hotel is a national historic landmark located at 1 Brown’s Forge Road in Gaylordsville, CT, only 15 minutes from Kent, Sherman, New Milford and the Harlem Valley/Wingdale Railroad Station. For further information, call 860-350-4443 or visit www.merwinsvillehotel.org or www.gaylordsville.org.
