Today the inn sits on the quiet outskirts of the small Texas town of Anderson but for several decades in the mid 1800s it was a bustling place at the intersection of two stage coach routes. Henry Fanthorp, an English immigrant, built a two room, dogtrot house in 1834 and added several large additions to provide food and lodging to the increasing number of travelers. The inn gained renown for its exceptional food and comfortable lodging.
Self guided tours of the inn are free but since there aren't many informative signs, the few dollars for a guided tour are well worth it. It was a slow day when we visited so we had the tour guide all to ourselves and were free to ask as many questions as we wanted. All were answered very satisfactorily.
The inn recently underwent an extensive renovation and is in excellent condition. The rooms, furnished with historic pieces and items representing the time period, include a dining room, family bedroom, post office, store room, and guest rooms. The barn houses a stage coach.
The first floor is accessible, The second floor is accessed by stairs only. Photographs of the second floor rooms are on display. The paths are hard packed dirt that is fairly easy to roll along.
I'd never heard of a dogtrot house before. I looked it up :-)
ReplyDeleteWe hadn't either until we started visiting places like this in the south.
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