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Griswold Inn site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Griswold Inn, The Essex, Connecticut Tourist attractions in Middlesex County, Connecticut Hotels in Connecticut Drinking establishments in Connecticut Buildings and structures in Middlesex County, Connecticut Dark Shadows English-American culture in Connecticut
The Griswold Inn is located in Essex, Connecticut
Essex is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,733 at the 2020 census. It is made up of three villages: Essex Village, Centerbrook, and Ivoryton.
History
The Great Attack
Essex is one of the few A ...
and is one of the oldest continuously run Inns in the United States. It was founded by three brothers in the late 18th century and named after the Griswold Family of the area, and it has been under the stewardship of only six families. The inn was captured by British troops and used as a base of operations during the War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
. During Prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...
, it still maintained a lively entertainment schedule for the local yachtsmen. Over the years, several surrounding buildings were added to the inn complex, each with its own unique history. It was also used as a filming location for the gothic soap opera ''Dark Shadows
''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinspo ...
''.
Historical displays
The walls of the inn hold numerous historic artifacts. Paintings are prominently displayed of famous vessels from the age of sail and steam, and the Gun Room has a collection of rare firearms. The inn has the largest privately held collection of the works of Antonio Jacobsen, the country's most prolific painter of maritime art.Amenities
The tavern servesNew England cuisine
New England cuisine is an American cuisine which originated in the New England region of the United States, and traces its roots to traditional English cuisine and Native American cuisine of the Abenaki, Narragansett, Niantic, Wabanaki, Wampan ...
. It serves lunch and dinner on most days. and it features a special Hunt Breakfast on Sundays, a convention which has existed for approximately two hundred years. The Tap Room was built in 1735 as a schoolhouse, but today it offers drinks and casual food as well as live entertainment.
The rooms are all well-furnished with local antiques, and the bathrooms are modern. None of the rooms have televisions; instead, classical music is piped in.
The inn is situated close to the mouth of the Connecticut River, and the typical live music leans toward sea shanties
A sea shanty, chantey, or chanty () is a genre of traditional folk song that was once commonly sung as a work song to accompany rhythmical labor aboard large merchant sailing vessels. The term ''shanty'' most accurately refers to a specific ...
and working-class songs. During the holiday season, quartets of madrigals
A madrigal is a form of secular vocal music most typical of the Renaissance (15th–16th c.) and early Baroque (1600–1750) periods, although revisited by some later European composers. The polyphonic madrigal is unaccompanied, and the number ...
perform historical carols, while parlor magicians, storytellers, and local crafts are all showcased at various times of the year.
Cultural references
The Griswold Inn served as the exterior for the Collinsport Inn in the original ''Dark Shadows'' TV series.See also
* List of the oldest restaurants in the United StatesReferences
External links
Griswold Inn site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Griswold Inn, The Essex, Connecticut Tourist attractions in Middlesex County, Connecticut Hotels in Connecticut Drinking establishments in Connecticut Buildings and structures in Middlesex County, Connecticut Dark Shadows English-American culture in Connecticut