Inn at Ormsby Hill, Manchester, Vermont

The original building, built in 1764 by Thompson Purdy, and one of the oldest structures in Manchester, now houses the formal living room, the Gathering Room and the Library, Taft, Lincoln and Hildene guest rooms. This portion of the inn still contains (in the basement) one of the earliest jail cells in Manchester (yes, the bars are still there as well as the marble slab on which the prisoners slept) and an all-marble floor. In the foyer of the old entrance is the smoke room where meats were hung and cured. It is believed that Ethan Allen hid in this "room" during the Revolutionary War. The house may have also served as a safe house for the Underground Railroad.

In 1987 it was purchased and converted into a five-room bed and breakfast. In 1991 the property again changed hands. Renovations were made, but the inn was still operating with five guest chambers.

In the fall of 1995, further renovations converted the north end of the building, which had been padlocked because of the grave state of disrepair, into five additional guest rooms. The inn now consists of ten luxurious bedchambers, including one which is completely handicapped-accessible. The grounds and the inn are continually being improved to their former glory. Ted and Chris, your innkeepers, have made this THE inn you want to visit when you "come home" to Vermont.

The Inn at Ormsby Hill has some of the finest common space that you will find in an inn. With only ten guest rooms and given the quantity and quality of common space, you will never feel cramped for a space to call your own.

Our front living room, which is always quiet and peaceful, features a commissioned bonnet-top highboy with slipper feet, designed after a Townsend-Goddard piece, as well as two sofas and assorted chairs, which allow for viewing the fireplace. The fireplace, with its connecting operational Dutch oven, and the hand-hewn beams are all believed to be circa 1764. A second common room, referred to as the Gathering Room, well deserves its name. This is where the largest fireplace in the inn is located (just one of 14!), which features the original iron cooking ware, circa 1764. Walls feature floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, containing many first editions and Ninteenth century books belonging to the Isham collection.

Imagine stylish decor of the highest quality: a canopy bed, a glowing fireplace, a private Jacuzzi for two. It is a potion for tranquility, your own personal retreat. Room design and ambience have all been created using romance and comfort as our guiding principles. We hope we have anticipated all your needs before your arrival.

Address and contact details

Inn at Ormsby Hill
1842 Main Street,
Historic Route 7A
Manchester
Vermont
05255
USA

• (802) 362 1163 ( Telephone )work
• 802-362-5176 ( Fax ) fax
• 800-670-2841 ( Tollfree ) work
• Website

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