The Curtis House Inn has Welcomed Wayfarers Long Before the American Revolution

The Curtis House Inn in Woodbury, Connecticut was established as a public lodging house in 1754. We decided to visit and see what it would be like to sleep in a 250+ year old colonial inn.

Before checking in, we looked around and wondered what famous men and women over the centuries had walked these venerable creaking halls and climbed the splendid staircase that leads to the guestrooms above.

If the Curtis House walls could talk, perhaps they would convey tales of passionate debates about freedom and taxation. They might also speak of later voices boasting of a newly elected first President who visited the area and promised to nurture and preserve a fledgling Republic.

Keeping confidences

It is certain that the Inn’s now treasured crooked walls hold many secrets that today’s guests will never discover. However, they know that the room where they peacefully slumber is inside a cherished inn that has survived the turbulent growth of a great nation – and that makes a stay at the Curtis House Inn very special indeed.

Blending the past and present

The old main building where we stayed has fourteen guestrooms – each with its own individual flavor. The robust historic atmosphere is obvious throughout the inn, but especially in the guestrooms.

We enjoyed the ambiance of the antique furnishings including a classical canopy bed and colonial desk, but we also appreciated the modern conveniences of cable TV and wireless internet access.

The pub and dining 

The rustic and comfortable City Hall Pub is right on the premises. Here again, we mused over what topics might have been the center of conversations over the past centuries in this historic setting.

The Curtis House has two dining rooms and a kitchen that prides itself in serving sumptuous and hearty meals – at reasonable prices.

The extensive menu features Yankee fare like chowders, potpies, roasts, seafood, and delicious homemade baked desserts.

Beauty abounds

Woodbury is situated in the foothills of the picturesque Berkshire Mountains in western Connecticut – a town well known for its abundant antique shops.

We have visited Woodbury on several occasions, and we always seem to covet a fantastic “something” that is always too large to ship home to California!

The area also provides abundant hiking, biking, boating, and golf opportunities.

An evening in Bethlehem

Our visit to Woodbury was in conjunction with a plan to write about “Christmas in Connecticut.” We arrived in Woodbury just in time for the annual Christmas tree lighting in nearby Bethlehem.

Each December this quaint hamlet takes on special holiday significance as thousands of visitors make the journey to the little town of Bethlehem to mail 200,000 Christmas cards with the famous postmark.

Also in early December, there is an annual Christmas Town Festival with dozens of vendors offering crafts and foods. It is quite a party as the locals gather for the lighting of the 75-foot tree on the town green.

During our visit, we enjoyed an opportunity to assist Santa in selecting who was naughty and who was nice. There were not many volunteers for “naughty” among the crowd of kids beseeching Santa’s favor. Go figger.

Stay at the Curtis House Inn

Stay here if you would enjoy a lodging with a counterpoint of timeworn simplicity and Yankee character – a property steeped in colonial history and tradition. The Curtis House will provide you with an unforgettable experience that melds an early American past with a contemporary New England present.

If you go

The Curtis House Inn is located 90 miles northeast of New York’s John F. Kennedy airport. Take the Woodbury exit (15) off Interstate 84 and Route 6 to Woodbury. For more information about the Inn click *here*

To read more of the journalists’ articles about Connecticut and other great places to stay, click on the abbreviated titles below:

Plan a storybook “Christmas in Connecticut”

Enjoy the fall colors of New England

Visit Kent Falls, Connecticut

A family budget hotel in Shelton, Connecticut

A historic inn in fashionable Westport, Connecticut

An intimate B&B on the backroads of northwestern Connecticut

The countryside elegance of the Mayflower Inn and Spa

The Delamar luxury hotel in the Greenwich harbor

© Travels with Wayne and Judy Bayliff

Photos © Wayne and Judy Bayliff

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• Posted in: Bed and Breakfasts ♦ Budget Appeal ♦ Destinations ♦ Destinations - Historic ♦ Dining - Casual ♦ Romantic Getaways
• Tagged: Best Historic Inns, Connecticut Inns, Historic Inns, New England Landmarks, Woodbury Antiques