TOUR THE ELMENDORPH INN AND ITS RESTORATION
The Elmendorph Inn is the oldest public house in the Town of Red Hook, NY and one of the oldest in the Hudson Valley. The original portion of the building was built in 1760.
The original roof line was gambrel - the roof of the white painted portion of the Inn shown in the photo at the right. This photo was taken in 1992, half-way through the restoration of the Inn.
Extensive remodeling to the building was performed early in the 19th century. Changes consisted of raising the roof on the front of the building (no longer gambrel in the front), adding the south rooms and changing the windows to the more delicate Federal style.
The South Room was added circa 1803. It has high ceilings, spacious dimensions and an elaborate Federal mantle. This style suggests the room was intended for public gatherings as it is used today. The chandelier in the South room is a handmade reproduction of a Hudson Valley example in a private collection. The Windson chairs in the room were donated by community members. Each bears a brass plaque under the seat listing the donor.
A lundheon held in the South Room, c. 2007
The Parlor, the “Best” room in the Inn, has an elaborate mantle and was the only room with wallpaper on the walls. This was probably a multi-purpose room: private dining, social gatherings or sleeping in adjacent chamber (now the Friends of Elmendorph office).
The Parlor was part of the original c. 1760 building. The door to South Room, added c. 1803, was a window. The room was “Federalized”, possibly at the same time the South Room was added or slightly later. The Federal mantle and fireplace replace an earlier, larger fireplace. Not shown in the photo is the corner display of original wallpapers. There are 12 layers of wallpaper; examples include a c. 1810 English wood block design and exceedingly rare French copper plate paper. The floor boards are original northern yellow pine. They were never painted.
Furnishing throughout the Inn are antique or appropriate reproductions so rooms can be used, not just looked at as in a museum.
Continue the Tour of the Inn - the Tap Room and Historic Kitchen