History

The original structure of the Inn was a cottage built in the late 1800’s. In the summer of 1906 Mary Atherton (Kroupa) opened her cottage as the ‘Sunrise Inn’. She added more rooms over the years and changed the name to the ‘Neahtawanta Hotel’ which operated in the summer and included a restaurant open to the public.

Mary was married three times but operated the Inn as a single woman from 1927 until her death in 1971 at 99 years old. She was known as a shrewd business woman, is said to have produced homemade gin and she always had a cigarette hanging from her lower lip. In the early years Mary sold blocks of ice that were cut from the harbor and stored in a building behind the Inn. She later sold ice cream to the children who stayed in the cottages on Neahtawanta Point in the summers. There are many colorful stories about Mary!

After her death, the Inn had limited use until it was purchased by Sally Van Vleck and her first husband, who moved into the inn with their daughters in 1978. During the 80’s Sally remained as the main innkeeper as her marriage ended and a new partner, Bob Russell, came on board. He and Sally operated the Inn for the next 26 years until his death in 2013. Together, Bob and Sally welcomed many guests who became lifelong friends, as well as sponsored educational programs and hosted numerous organizations which shared their vision.

Sally continues to operate the Inn – with help from community, assistants, friends and family.