Wayside Inn
The Wayside Inn is a historic Massachusetts inn, restaurant, and cultural property operating in Sudbury since 1716.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Wayside Inn is a historic inn and hospitality property in Sudbury, Massachusetts. Originally known as Howe's Tavern, it received an official inn license in 1716 under innkeeper David Howe. The property remained associated with the Howe family for several generations and developed a reputation as a stopping place on the old roads west of Boston. It is frequently described as one of the oldest continuously operating inns in the United States, although that description is qualified by a closure between 1861 and 1897 after the death of Lyman Howe, the fifth-generation Howe owner. The inn's significance extends beyond lodging and food service. Its archive contains material dating from 1686, including records connected with the Howe family and the inn's licensing history. The property also preserves difficult aspects of early American history. Records show that two enslaved people lived at the inn: a man identified as Portsmouth, purchased in 1773, and an unnamed girl purchased in 1779 by Ezekiel Howe. Ezekiel Howe later served with the Sudbury Minutemen during the American Revolutionary War. The property became especially prominent in American literary culture after poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow visited in 1862 with his publisher James T. Fields. By then the establishment had become known as the Red Horse Tavern. Longfellow used the inn as the setting for Tales of a Wayside Inn, published in 1863. The collection presents stories told by guests at the inn and includes “The Landlord's Tale,” better known for containing the poem “Paul Revere's Ride.” Longfellow originally considered the title Sudbury Tales, helping establish the Wayside Inn name in the cultural imagination. Ownership passed outside the Howe family in the 1890s. Homer Rogers and S. Herbert Howe acquired the property in 1893 and undertook substantial improvements. Edward R. Lemon purchased it in 1897 and restored its function as an inn. In 1923, industrialist Henry Ford bought the property from Cora Lemon. He subsequently acquired approximately 300 surrounding acres and sought to create a historically oriented village and museum. Although Ford did not fully realize that plan at Sudbury, his stewardship led to the development of associated historic, educational, and archival activities and influenced the later creation of Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford established the Wayside Inn Boys School, a trade school that operated from 1928 to 1947 and reflected his emphasis on practical learning. The property remained connected with the Ford family until its sale in 1945. A major fire on the night of December 22–23, 1955, gutted the inn and destroyed or damaged many antiques assembled during Ford's ownership. Restoration sought to recreate the appearance of the building during Longfellow's visit, using surviving structural elements and furnishings. Support from the Ford Foundation included a reported grant of $500,000. The restored property reopened on June 7, 1958, with an open house and public activities near the Martha-Mary Chapel and gristmill. Today, The Wayside Inn Foundation manages the inn and the broader historic property, which encompasses more than 100 acres of fields and forests as well as associated buildings, a watermill, chapel, and archives. The operation combines hospitality with heritage interpretation. The inn offers restaurant service, historically styled guest rooms, tours and cultural programming, and facilities for small receptions. Its guest book and archives preserve accounts of visitors, newspaper clippings, and other documentation. In 2019, the volunteer board of trustees adopted the name The Wayside Inn Foundation while pursuing expanded research and public outreach. The brand is therefore best understood not as a conventional hotel chain but as a site-specific historic hospitality institution whose identity rests on continuity, literature, preservation, and public history.
History
The Wayside Inn's documented history reaches back to the late seventeenth century, with archival material beginning in 1686. The property became an officially licensed inn in 1716 when David Howe operated it as Howe's Tavern. It remained within the Howe family for successive generations. Ezekiel Howe, David Howe's son and a later innkeeper, served with the Sudbury Minutemen during the Revolutionary War. Records also document the presence of two enslaved people at the property: Portsmouth, purchased in 1773, and an unnamed girl, purchased in 1779 by Ezekiel Howe. These records form part of the site's broader historical interpretation. Lyman Howe, a fifth-generation owner, died without children in 1861. The inn then ceased operating for a period, a fact that complicates claims that it has operated without interruption since 1716. By the time Longfellow visited in 1862 with James T. Fields, the property was known as the Red Horse Tavern. Longfellow's visit became central to the inn's later identity: he used it as the setting for Tales of a Wayside Inn, published in 1863. The volume presents a succession of narratives told by guests and includes the poem “Paul Revere's Ride.” In 1893, Homer Rogers and S. Herbert Howe acquired the property. Rogers was the first owner from outside the Howe family, and the two owners invested in renovation and improvement. Edward R. Lemon acquired the tavern in 1897 and returned it to use as an inn. Cora Lemon later sold it to Henry Ford in 1923. Ford purchased roughly 300 additional acres in 1924 and envisioned a historically focused village and museum at Sudbury. The project was only partly realized, but Ford created institutions connected with the site, including the Wayside Inn Boys School, which operated from 1928 to 1947 as a practical trade school. Ford sold the Wayside property in 1945. The inn suffered a devastating fire on December 22–23, 1955, when the building was gutted and many antiques collected during the Ford period were lost or affected. A restoration campaign reconstructed the building in a form intended to resemble the inn seen by Longfellow. Original beams and surviving furnishings were incorporated where possible, and the Ford Foundation provided a reported $500,000 grant. The property reopened on June 7, 1958, with an open house and outdoor activities near the Martha-Mary Chapel and gristmill. The Wayside Inn is now operated by The Wayside Inn Foundation. The property includes the historic inn, associated buildings, a watermill, chapel, archives, and more than 100 acres of fields and forests. Its current activity combines restaurant service, guest accommodation, heritage tourism, educational work, archival preservation, and small-event hosting. In 2019, the volunteer board of trustees adopted the Foundation's current name in connection with efforts to expand research and public outreach. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Wayside Inn Historic District.
- 2019
Foundation adopts its current name
[1]The volunteer trustees began using The Wayside Inn Foundation name while developing research and outreach work.
- 1958
Restoration completed
[1]The inn reopened after a historically oriented restoration supported in part by the Ford Foundation.
- 1955
Major fire
[1]A fire gutted the inn and damaged or destroyed historic contents.
- 1928
Wayside Inn Boys School opens
[1]Ford established a practical trade school at the property; it continued until 1947.
- 1923
Henry Ford purchases the inn
[1]Ford acquired the property and began pursuing a larger historical village and museum concept.
- 1897
Edward R. Lemon restores inn operations
[1]Edward R. Lemon purchased the tavern and again operated it as an inn.
- 1893
Ownership moves outside the Howe family
[1]Homer Rogers and S. Herbert Howe acquired the property and began renovation work.
- 1863
Tales of a Wayside Inn is published
[1]Longfellow published the poem collection set at the inn, including “The Landlord's Tale,” which contains “Paul Revere's Ride.”
- 1862
Longfellow visits the Red Horse Tavern
[1]Henry Wadsworth Longfellow visited the property with James T. Fields, an event later associated with the inn's literary legacy.
- 1861
End of the Howe family line of ownership
[1]Lyman Howe, the fifth-generation Howe owner, died unmarried and without children; the inn subsequently entered a period of closure.
Products and positioning
A destination historic inn combining lodging and dining with American literary heritage, preservation, archival research, and interpretation of the surrounding historic property.
Accommodation
Historic guest rooms
Guest accommodation presented within a historically preserved inn environment. The lodging offer is tied to the site's period character and heritage interpretation rather than to a standardized multi-property hotel format.
Food and beverage · 1716
Wayside Inn restaurant
The inn's restaurant provides dining as part of the overall historic-site experience. Food service supports the property as a destination for visitors as well as overnight guests.
Heritage tourism
Historic property and heritage experiences
The broader property includes historic buildings and landscapes associated with the inn, including the Martha-Mary Chapel, gristmill, watermill, archives, and surrounding fields and forests. These assets support interpretation, visits, and educational outreach.
Events
Small receptions and private events
The inn hosts small receptions and related private functions in a historic setting. Event use complements its restaurant, lodging, and heritage-preservation activities.
Brand decisions
1956
Restore the inn after the 1955 fireOtherBackground
The inn was gutted by fire in December 1955, threatening the building's historic character and its collection of antiques.
Action taken
Restorers rebuilt the property using surviving beams and furnishings where possible and aimed to reproduce its appearance during Longfellow's visit.
Aftermath
The restored inn reopened in June 1958 and continued as a functioning historic hospitality property.
Ford Foundation restoration grant. $500,000 grant (Post-fire restoration, 1956–1958)
1923
Develop the inn as a historical village and museumStrategyBackground
After acquiring the Wayside Inn, Henry Ford sought to use the property and surrounding land to create a historically oriented village and museum.
Action taken
Ford bought the inn and approximately 300 surrounding acres, and established related educational and preservation institutions.
Aftermath
The full Sudbury concept was not completed, but Ford's involvement shaped the site's preservation history and informed the later development of Greenfield Village in Michigan.
Sources1 sources
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