Be Our Guest!

The tradition of hospitality has been a constant in The Wayside Inn’s long history. “During the 18th and 19th centuries, How’s Tavern served as a popular stop for travelers along the Boston Post Road,” said Katina Fontes, Education Coordinator for The Wayside Inn Foundation. The inn’s popularity continued into the Victorian period after the 1963 publication of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Tales of a Wayside Inn. “Fans of Longfellow knew that our inn inspired the book’s setting, and during the late 1800s, many made the pilgrimage to Sudbury,” added Fontes. During the early part of the 20th century, Henry Ford purchased the property, built the Grist Mill and Martha-Mary Chapel, and moved the Redstone School from Sterling to the site. This all began a long period of tourism, which continues to this day, for travelers coming from near and far to visit the historic inn and grounds. “Throughout the last 300+ years, our goal has always been to provide good food, excellent service, and a memorable experience,” said Fontes, “and hundreds of staff members have worked hard behind the scenes to make this goal a reality.”

To research this history, Wayside Inn Foundation staff have reviewed documents related to former Inn staff and workers. “Our archive is a treasure-trove of information and we have shared short biographies of former staff members on social media,” noted Fontes. “However, our long-term goal is the publication of a comprehensive report or book on this topic and additional research is needed.” Last summer, college interns were recruited to assist with the project by analyzing Ford Era Hostess Diaries and interviewing current long-time staff members.

For those wishing to learn about this work, The Wayside Inn Foundation is hosting “Be Our Guest? Dinner and Panel Discussion on the History of Wayside Inn Hospitality” on Wednesday, January 19th at 7:00 pm. Panelists will include interns Allison Densel and Lena Leavitt, Director of Community Engagement Sally Hild, and Archivist Lauren Prescott. Katina Fontes will moderate the discussion.

Zoom links for the program cost $7 per household for members and $10 per household for nonmembers. Innkeeper’s Circle members may request a free link.

Takeout dinner options (for pick-up on the day of the event between 5:00-6:00 pm) are available for $25/dinner and include an assortment of Grist Mill rolls and muffins, fresh mixed green salad with house raspberry vinaigrette, choice of Wayside Inn chicken pie (all chicken, no vegetables, fresh crust) w/ whipped potatoes & green beans, OR butternut squash ravioli with sage brown butter sauce, and chocolate ganache cake

Program details and registration is available at www.tinyurl.com/our-guest.