Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / United States / Essex / The Griswold Inn
The Griswold Inn
Essex, Connecticut, United States · Independent · Near Luxury
The Griswold Inn has taken guests in Essex since 1776, one of the oldest continuously operating inns in the United States. British mariners commandeered it in the War of 1812; rumrunners used it in Prohibition. Six families have stewarded the house. The Tap Room still hosts song, and the walls hold one of the country's largest privately held maritime art collections, gathered across the Ladd/Lovell century from the 1880s to 1972.
- Opened 1776
About The Griswold Inn
- The inn has operated continuously in Essex since 1776.
- British forces commandeered the house during the War of 1812.
- The maritime art collection, largely assembled by the Ladd/Lovell family between the 1880s and 1972, is among the largest private marine-art holdings in the country.
- Only six families have owned the inn across two and a half centuries.
History
The Griswold Inn opened in Essex, Connecticut, in 1776 and has run as an inn ever since. During the War of 1812 British mariners commandeered the building. In the 19th century Essex was a stop between Hartford and New York, and steamboat passengers filled the rooms. The Ladd/Lovell family owned the inn from the 1880s to 1972 and assembled a major collection of maritime paintings and artifacts that still hangs in the public rooms. Later owners expanded into adjacent historic buildings while keeping wide-plank floors, low beams, and tavern fireplaces. Historic Hotels of America lists the inn.
Restaurants and bars
- The Wine Bar & Bistro at The Griswold Inn — Restaurant
- The Tap Room at The Griswold Inn — Bar · Bar
Open The Griswold Inn in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.