The History of Red Lion Inn
The Red Lion Inn in western Massachusetts was opened in 1773 and has been operating continuously ever since. It was the center of Shays' Rebellion and has hosted five presidents.
Other People Are Reading
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Stockbridge, Mass.
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Stockbridge is a town in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. It was first settled in 1734, and in 1737 it was officially incorporated. One of the town's many well-known residents was artist Norman Rockwell, who painted scenes from the town several times.
Opening and Early History
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The Red Lion Inn was opened by Anna and Silas Bingham. Originally it was also a general store and tavern. It quickly became a village meeting place.
In the winter of 1786, when Daniel Shays led the protest that later became called 'Shays' Rebellion,' his headquarters was Stockbridge. -
Changes in Ownership
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In 1807, the widowed Anna Bingham sold her inn for $10,000 (a very large amount of money at the time) to store owner Silas Pepoon. In 1862 the inn was sold to Charles Plumb, whose family owned the inn for almost 90 years. Slated for destruction in 1968, the inn was bought by John and Jane Fitzpatrick, whose family still owns it.
Fire
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On Aug. 31, 1896, a fire almost destroyed the inn. Charles Plumb's wife had amassed an impressive collection of colonial-era furniture, dinnerware and pictures, which was mostly saved. The Plumbs' manager and nephew, Allan Treadway, restored the inn. It was re-opened on April 30, 1897.
Notable Guests
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The Red Lion Inn has been host to Presidents Cleveland, McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Coolidge and Franklin Roosevelt. Other guests to the inn include Nathanial Hawthorne, Henry Longfellow, John Wayne and Bob Dylan.
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