Project Description
[two_third last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=””][title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” class=”” id=””]About Little River B&B[/title]We believe the house was originally built in the early 1870s. In 1910, the home, described at the time as “an old two-family house by the Nubanusit River”, was purchased by Marian and Edward MacDowell to be used as housing for the first male artists accepted to the world famous MacDowell Colony (the oldest artist colony in the United States, incorporated in 1907).
Referred to as The Mannex, the accommodations were a bit more rustic in those days as the earliest male colonists remarked about the lack of running water and the need to bathe in the river, but by 1913 the Colony’s annual report indicated that electricity, running water and open fireplaces were all available.It is believed that Thornton Wilder stayed here during some of his nine summer stays at the Colony starting in 1924. Other visits to the Colony by Thornton Wilder included one in June 1937 when it is believed that he was working on his now classic American play “Our Town” (set in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, which was modeled in part after Peterborough and other towns in the Monadnock region).
Beginning the 1930s, the house, along with two nearby properties (The Rosery, seen in the background of the above photo, and The Lower House, just up the road), was operated as the MacDowell Colony Inn and welcomed travelers to Peterborough and the Monadnock region. The Inn was in operation until the 1940s when the start of World War II significantly slowed the tourism business in the area.
From the 1950s to the early 2000s the house was used as a single and multi-family residence and the second building on the property, now referred to as The Carriage House, was home to various businesses. Chance visits from previous owners have provided clues as to some of the ages of various features in the home, but we are still working on putting all of the pieces together.
In the Fall of 2005, Paula and Rob Fox purchased the home with the intention of converting it into a Bed and Breakfast. At the time of our purchase, we were unfamiliar with the home’s history and didn’t even have a clear understanding of exactly when the home was built. It probably goes without saying, but we were very pleasantly surprised to discover the history of the home and learn it had hosted guests in the past. Major renovations filled all of 2006 and some of 2007, but once substantially completed, we hosted our first guests at Little River Bed and Breakfast in the Spring of 2007.
184 Union Street, Peterborough, NH 03450
Phone: 1-603-924-3280
Web: littleriverbedandbreakfast.com
