Built in 1764, the Walloomsac Inn is Vermont's oldest inn and one of Old Bennington's most iconic landmarks. Originally known as Dewey's Tavern, it served as a gathering place for local militia and the Green Mountain Boys during the Battle of Bennington in 1777. Over the following two centuries it became a celebrated and well-traveled inn, hosting guests that included Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Benjamin Harrison, and Rutherford B. Hayes, along with Edith Roosevelt, Walt Disney, Norman Rockwell, and Robert Frost.
The Walloomsac Inn, 1909, photographed by Frederick Dunham.
Walter Berry, 1907, photographed by Frederick Dunham (Gift of the Bennington Banner)
The inn closed in 1987 and became a private residence, falling into disrepair. Place in Mind acquired the property, including its original furnishings, in July 2025.
Place in Mind is embarking on an extensive renovation and restoration of the Walloomsac Inn as a forty-room hotel, restaurant, and spa, drawing on historic postcards, lithographs, and paintings to guide the architectural work. Interiors will pair refinished period furnishings with vintage pieces and curated artwork under the design direction of Hendricks Churchill. Situated just up the road from The Seminary, the two properties will offer guests a diversity of experience.
