When you see an “abandoned” (or sometimes more accurately “neglected” house, it is natural to wonder what it looks like inside. We ask ourselves: Who lives there? Who lived there? What happened to it? And we sigh, Oh it must have been beautiful. What a shame.
The Walloomsac Inn, January 2011.
The Walloomsac Inn, featured in 2011 on Preservation in Pink, is one of those properties that creates intrigue for all who see it. Some have memories of the house. Others are simply curious. Locals often have the best insight, as to who owns the property and why it’s been neglected. The Walloomsac Inn is not abandoned, or at least portions of it are not.
Read through the numerous comments on the original post for stories from guests and local Bennington residents, and questions from others. You’ll see ongoing conversations between Stuart Clough, a woman named Donna, and myself, as well as others. Stuart and his wife visited the Congregational Church across the street from the Walloomsac Inn, where they found a booklet written about the history of the Walloomsac Inn. This booklet was made in conjunction with the owners of the Inn for people to view. Many people are curious about the Inn, and the owners would rather not have people knock on the door of their now-private residence, understandably so.
Thank you to Stuart for making copies of the book and sharing those images with all of us so we can “visit” the Inn.
Perhaps these will spark more photographs from other, and memories? Please note that these images are scans of photocopies. I’ve done my best at editing the images for better contrast. But, they give a taste of the interior of the Walloomsac Inn!
Because Stuart sent along these photos, it inspired me to search for the Walloomsac Inn in the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation’s resource files, now online at www.orc.vermont.gov.
The Walloomsac Inn as seen in 1974. Source: Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, State Register of Historic Places, Bennington Vol. I.
The Walloomsac Inn is listed in the State Register of Historic Places as part of the Old Bennington Historic District. Read it here, and scroll to page 95. The Old Bennington Historic District National Register nomination can be read here (see Section 7, page 22).
Walloomsac Inn and Congregational Church as seen in 1974. Source: Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, State Register of Historic Places, Bennington Vol. I.
And, below is the architectural description from the Old Bennington Historic District National Register Nomination.
Note that this 1983 nomination describes the inn as being in “very deteriorated condition,” which is a different impression than just 9 years earlier for the State Register. And you can read a note from the Bennington Museum, explaining that the Berry family would like privacy. Please remember, that the Walloomsac Inn is a private residence; no trespassing on the property!
I hope you’ve enjoyed these images. Do you have any photographs of the Walloomsac Inn from your travels?
Thank you to Stuart Clough for going to great efforts to find and scan these photographs, and especially for sharing them with all of us.
Preservation in Pink 