New Britain herald., 1919-12-02
COLONIAL INN SOLD;
 ID REMAIN AS HOTEL
$15,OOO Is Said to Be Price Paid
 by Bristol Party WAS PROSPEROUS TAVERN

Old Road House Dates Back to Days of Ryder's Trotting ParI,-E,ood ] Sales Being Held in Three Local Churches-Other Bref Items. ! The Colonial Inn on E3ast N,i, street has been sold by Mrs. Marina Officer to MT. and Mrs. William Kara george of Bristol. The purchase price was approximately s15.o0o. The new owners will conduct the hotel as it has been in the past. The Colonial Inn is one of the oldest and best known landmarks in the town of PIainville. A large house owned by Henry Stanley occupied the site of the inn more than 50 years ago. The house was remodeied and becam what is now the Colonial Inn. The first owner of the place after it became a hotel was man named Drake of Litchfield. Under his man. asement, it is said, the house was un- PoP"'al WILL Iue feSlOentS or the town. He conducted the place for about four years
 The place then came into the hands of Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Tinker. under their management the tavern enjoyed a period of popula rity and prosperity which has not been equal led since that time. Mrs. Tinker re called those days this morning and told or the period in which the place was most popular.
 There were no trolley cars in those days, she said and the fare to Hart ford on the steam trains was 50 cents
 At that time the Ryder trotting park in Plainville was the place where the Grand Circuit horse races were held and the tavern was the popular headquarters for horsemen from all parts of the country. Sales men in large numbers also stopped at the place and it became known to travelling men who passed through this section very often
 In 1869, when the town of Plain- vile was incorporated and separated from E7armin gton. d celebra ton was held and the Colonial Inn was the center of activities. Mrs. Tinker spent several days in preparing for the rush and on the day of the cele- bra ton she few obout 400 people. A large tent was erected on the lawn of the place and this was used in ad- dition to the dining hall.
 Mrs. Tinker's health broke down and she was finally obliged to give up the management and care of the hotel. They then moved to their present home on East Main street. Since that time the place has changed hands many times, with varying degrees of prosperity and popularity.
 Elias Baldwin. al one time a. famous horseman, conducted the hotel. He also kept a stable with a large number of fast horses. The place was pros- porous under his management. Other owners were Kilnan and Boyle, OLeary and O'Brien and Charles Pet tingilI. M. B. Hitchcock also conduct ed the place for some time
 The property became run down dur ing this period of change and the ap- pearance of the building changed f.r the worse. The various owners made practically no improvements and the value of the property deteriorated, Mrs. Tinker, who lived across the street with her husband, was saddened by the evidences of CarelesSneSS on the part of the owners as there were many pleasant and sad memories connected with the place during the period in which she managed it. She prevailed upon her husband to buy back the old place and they made many improve ments, restoring the tavern 10 a sem blance of it's former state. They con-
 
 years when it was again sold.
 The hotel was purchased } years ago by Charles Officer, who has man aged the tavern up to the present time. The place has been kept in very good repair during this time and the grounds are also in good condition.
 The new owners plan to conduct not only d permanent rooming house but also a hostelry for transients. This plan has been dropped for some time.
 The Colonial Inn is Sd i'd to be about the second oldest tavern in Connecti- cut
 The place has a frontage of 1s2 feet on East Main street and is 154 feet |, deep. The inn itself contains ' 1 rooms and is one of the largest houses 1 in town. The sale was made through ] the agency of Charles F. ConIon.
 Churches Hold Christmas Sales.
 Tho Ladies Aid society of the Ad- l vent Christian church will hold sale l of food, aprons and fancy articles to- 1 m orrow and Wednesday, in the aft ! ernoon and evening. The sale will 1 he held In the store in the Hotel Clar- endon building
 A food sale will be held in the par 1ors of the Congregational church to- m orroW afternoon from to 5 o'clock he purno.o ,,aisiY,c funds