Old Drovers Inn (republished to the group)

  
 Like a treasured gemstone in an antique setting, Old Drovers Inn shines brilliantly in the hunt country of rural Southern Dutchess County, New York. This 255 year old virtual museum of our colonial past is still a vital part of the community of Dover Plains, comforting the weary travelers on the old Berkshire Post Road as it has through generations of family owners. The Old Drovers Inn is an heirloom one must experience to believe.

    Time comes to a standstill when you cross the threshold. The original furnishings, a musket over the mantle, and wide-board floors gleaming in the undulating settling of antiquity, invite you to take a deep breath, abandon your concerns to the cars racing by on Rt 22, and relax. New owner David Wilson, and Assistant Innkeeper Eileen Stanton, will see to it that you feel at home in the pre-Revolutionary surroundings.

    Let them take you on a tour of the public rooms. Sharp eyes will spot the stenciled 1842 hope chest doing double duty as a coffee table, nearly hidden beneath the magazines strategically placed to hold the errant wine glass, or the closet where the scallop-shell cupboard used to be. That one is now in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum, but if you missed it there, you can admire its twin, called one of the finest examples of hand-carved colonial cabinetry, in the adjoining library. While you're there, browse through the books, and read the delightful inscriptions to past inn keepers from their happily satisfied guests.

    On the library table you'll find transcribed town records dating from 1807.  If you are fortunate enough to be staying in the room upstairs with the barrel ceiling, called the Meeting Room, you'll see where the original residents of Dover Plains held their town meetings. But, the Old Drovers Inn is so much more than an old town hall. It is a home away from home that briefly served as General Lafayette's headquarters during the American Revolution, back when it was already celebrating twenty-five years in business. Everywhere you look you'll see centuries of history in this successful and well-run family inn.

    In addition to the meeting room, there are three other guest rooms on the second floor. Each has a private bath and a working fireplace, and each is distinctly decorated in period antique furniture, with nary a phone nor a television to disturb the peaceful atmosphere. The third floor has two adjoining rooms with a shared bath, ideal when traveling with friends and extended families. The queen and king sized beds with 700 to 800 thread count sheets, a shelf of complimentary Gilchrist & Soames body care products, Frette linens and turkish towels all contribute to the atmosphere of self-indulgence you will enjoy during your stay here.


    If you can pry yourself out of your guest room, you'll find that the Old Drovers Inn has a well-earned reputation for excellent food as well. Chef De Cuisine, Mark Cahill, with Executive Chef Steve Ryan, combine the finest of local ingredients to create a truly spectacular dining experience downstairs in the original tavern. The black board menu still has the cheddar cheese soup and turkey hash favorites that have garnered praise for decades, but using the seasonal and market-fresh provender of the region, the chefs create innovative combinations of color and taste that change weekly. A recent visit found pan seared scallops on a bed of polenta topped with fresh salsa, and roast ribs of venison on goat's cheese mashed potatoes, with sauted baby vegetables that were so tiny you almost knew that somewhere their mother was crying for them.

    Pair the exceptional entrees with wine by the bottle or glass from the extensive wine list, and you have a meal equal to, or exceeding the expectations your room gave you. As many people come for the food as come for the accommodations, so you won't be disappointed when you visit the Old Drovers Inn.

    The Inn is three miles South of Dover Plains on Route 22. If you are arriving by train, (last stop on the Harlem Valley Line) call 845.832.9311 and they'll pick you up at the station. Let David and his incredible staff spoil you in the historic Old Drovers Inn.
info@olddroversinn.com     ww.olddroversinn.com 
Not handicap accessible.