The Press., 1891-03-05
(Tolland County Leader.) THE ROCKVILLE HOUSE.

uaN0lcI bO paSS Uy Ou JUG OCl6F SlQ6. u
 is true, in this case, that "the way to
 mans heart is through his stomach" for
 the commercial fraternity'' and all other
 travellers seek out the places where the
 inner man is best cared for and the outer
 man best housed A good hotel attracts
 people. Travellers make it a point to reach
 the good hotels at nightfall and on Sun- days, and to avoid the poor ones. The
 reputation of house for good or evil is
 soon known throughout the country. A
 we'll filled hotel attracts trade to the local
 places. These things were undoubtedly
 understood in the early history of the town and county.
 As is well known, the first hotel was the
 old Kings tavern, the present almshouse.
 the place Lafayette made famous by his
 Vlslt Tn 1924. The Rockville house, the
 subject of this sketch, was built in 1S43 by
 Father William T. Cogswell for Hub.
 bard Kellogg and Postmaster Samuel P.
 Rose. The deed of the property probib.
 ited the sale of liquors under penalty of
 forfeiture to the original owners. the Rock
 company. Asaph Mckinney was landlord
 from AS to '45, and was succeeded by the
 iate francls keeney, who kept it until
 iooi: At this time 1t was thought best to
 build @ new and more commodious place
 and the old hotel was moved north. where
 1t now stands as the residence of B. Bill.
 The present building was erected on the
 old site by Phineas Talcott Allen Ham.
 mond, Nelson Kingsbury, Alonzo Bailey.
 Aaron Kellogg, Alien Kellogg, Major Ma.
 thanlel Kellogg, and one other whom the
 narrator could not recall. Elisha Pember
 opened the new hotel in 1853, and was fol
 lowed in 1854 by one Newton of Greenfield.
 deorge Hammond and George Talcott, and
 m 1So5 by Horace Chapman. In 1856 MT.
 Iempef LOOK the house for another term
 ol TWO years. Francis Keeney, again a
 resident of Rockville, bought the house in
 1858, and conducted it, with the assistance
 of his estimable wife and two sons. Edgar
 and Frank, for seventeen years In 1876.
 Col c. w. Lay of Stafford became pro.
 prletor and landlord. He sold year later
 to Ciaudlus Harvey, who served the public
 until 1888.
 In 1879 and again in 1882, in order to
 give increased accommodations, the hotel
 was extensively remodeled and assumed it's
 present shape, as far as the exterior is con.
 cerned The not over prosperous reign of
 the Camerons followed and brings us down
 to within few months, when the property
 was bought by syndicate consisting of
 George Paulk, J. O. Hammond, Jr, Oy-
 rus Wlnchell and Crosley Fitton, who de-
 sired to try the experiment. of conducting
 a hotel as 1t should be conducted.
 The new proprietors at once began the work of remodeling, which was not really
 completed until the work of putting in the } new electric bell system was finished Sat urday. The changes have been almost wholly on the interior and so numerous and varied ln character that the place is hardly recognizable by those who knew it ln It's old days. The old Rockville hall, the scene of so many famous town meet ings, public events and festive gatherings, was first sacrificed in the march of i'm provement. It was divided lengthwise, } the south side being about double the width of the other and forming one of the finest dining halls in the state. The north {: side forms the kitchens, which are fitted up in modern manner. Henry Bias is
 meat cook and Miss Kate Horan pastry cook. The furnishings of the dining room {; are ali new and new service of silver 8 adorns the tables. Landlord Ryan sets be- 8 fore his guests the best that the markets 3 afford, and the house has already made 2 favorable reputation for iLsc,s nv the sev 2 eral banquets that have been served hefs ] this winter. The walters are all experts 1T g their buziness.
 I The space on the left of the hall, occu v pied by the old dining rooms, has been di , vided between back parlor and room ] which Is to be used later on as reading g room, when it is furnished. The two par ] lors have been connected by folding doors 8 and elegantly furnished. In the back par @ Tor is fine piano. The entrance at tho ), east end of the hall has been done away !, with. The hall has been extended in lengtl . the width of the old portico, and the room g thus gained utilized for the stairways + which have been transferred here from tn, j. center of the hall. It might have beer n mentioned that in the northeast corner O l. the ell, opening from the main dining
 room, is handsomely furnished smaller d dining room for small parties. On tn, l. basement floor, the billiard room has beer r. removed from the ell to the east end of tn, l. main building, in the space occupied b, s the old kitchens and laundry. The room 'f is nicely fitted up and there are new bil ,f Hard tables. The laundry now occupies l. the basement ell
 The above are the principal changes e Then the old system of heating some of tn l, rooms some of the time, has been replaced n by complete system of steam heating tha
 is thoroughly appreciated at this season o
 the year by all travellers. Most of tn rooms in the main house are supplied witt d electric bells. The entire house has beel n repainted and repapered. The old furnish 5, ings of all the sleeping rooms and parlor Q have been discarded to make room fo U handsome new carpets, pretty furniture I, etc. By the changes five rooms have bee tt secured, making 59 in all, AS of which ar "a used for transient guests. The house IS when Col. Lay took it, contained A rooms II He increased the number to 54. Tn ,,. work has been done in thorough an ' permanent manner, largely under the su g pervislon of MT. Paulk. Contractor Grifi
 of Worcester did the woodwork, and Ne, q, York parties the decorating. Electricia
 Burbank put in the bells, while E.
 Kuhnly put in the steam heating apparatus
 Rockville now has hotel to be prou es of. Here hospitality abounds. The plac pr is conducted, at present, on thorough It business principles, and Landlord Rya es realizes that the success of the establisl 'e ment depends upon the good service ths m he gives his guests. The liberal and il D. creasing patronage that he is reeeivin
 shows that he is successful and that goo "a hotel can pay in this city. Travelling me le now consider the hotel one of the best the state, and there are large number ie permanent boarders. On the floor aboy 'n the office, Charles Phelps has very ell 'u gantly fitted up suite of rooms. If tt