Walloomsac Inn

A Brief History: Nestled comfortably in the center of the town of Bennington, Vermont at 67 West Main Street, sits the oldest known hotel in the entire state of Vermont: The Walloomsac Inn. Built in 1771 by Elijah Dewey, who was the son of Bennington’s first Ministers. Maintained by his family as well, it primarily was used as a hotel before being sold in 1818 to James Hicks who then turned it into the Hicks Tavern. The tavern was also utilized as a stagecoach stop, which doubled business seeing as the trip to or from New York was vast and far and took about 4 full days of travel. In 1823 the building was expanded, giving room for a new ballroom on the 2nd floor and a new 3rd floor as well. Its peak of popularity was around, 1848 when the railroad finally came to Bennington, putting a halt to stagecoach use. Around that same time, George Wadsworth Robinson then bought the Inn, and changed the name to The Walloomsac Inn because of the river with the same name that is very close by the inn itself. The building would go on to change owners two more times, first bought by Mrs. Mary Sanford Robinson along with her brother Samuel Sanford who then hired a proprietor named Walter Berry in 1891, and five years later Berry was able to finally buy the hotel. The Walloomsac Inn has stayed in the Berry family ever since, adding an entire 3 and a half story addition to the rear area of the building. Business slowly grinded to a halt in 1996 and the Inn was eventually permanently shut down for good. Stated in the Berry Family will, it is said that no one is to touch the hotel and for them to leave it as it is. Surprisingly, despite its outer look that seems like it is falling to pieces over time, it is built of brick underneath the fragile outside, keeping this beautiful piece of history standing strong for years to come. The inn has also seen a few very famous faces in its history as well, when it was owned by the Dewey’s. In June 1791 Thomas Jefferson and James Madison stopped in as guests because they wanted to see the new state of Vermont. Even with its doors now closed it still stands as it once did all those years ago, keeping its specific slice of history alive as a unique, eye-catching giant.

Haunted History: It has been noted that various people have claimed through the years that the Inn has held a “very uncomfortable, and uneasy feeling” inside of it, usually feeling an unusual chill come over your body.  Passersby claim to have seen a man looking out the 2nd floor window and then just disappear.