Cozy Inn Collection
name: label: Donor
content: Freeze, Gerald
label: Creator
content: Cozy Inn (Thurmont, Md.)
label: Names
content: Freeze, Wilbur
place: label: Place
content: Camp David -- (Md.)
topic: label: Topic
content: Handbooks
label: Topic
content: Hotels
label: Topic
content: Motels
label: Topic
content: Taverns (Inns)
label: Topic
content: Restaurants
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by Gerald G. Freeze, 2015
creator: label: Donor
content: Freeze, Gerald
label: Creator
content: Cozy Inn (Thurmont, Md.)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Cozy Inn Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: The collection documents the history of the Cozy Inn and Restaurant in Thurmont, Maryland.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: The Cozy Inn was an eighty five year old business when it closed in 2014.  Located on a major highway near Gettysburg and the Catoctin Mountains, Wilbur Freeze started what was then called Camp Cozy in 1929, with just three cabins, later adding a gas station to attract tourists, and in the 1930s, he added in a small lunch counter, and eventually a full service restaurant.  It is an excellent example of a 20th century business that started small and grew large, increasing the services offered over time.  The Inn grew both in size and popularity, and the Freezes added entertainment attractions in order to increase business, including festivals and special offerings for various holidays.  Some of the attractions were eccentric, such as hot air balloons and live animal shows.  

In 1942, the presidential retreat Camp David (then known as Shangri-La) was established just six miles away.  This led to the Cozy Inn becoming the headquarters for Secret Service agents, reporters and photographers during events that occurred at Camp David. Sometimes foreign dignitaries stayed there.  State and local politicians such as members of the Senate, governors of states, cabinet members, and Presidents' family members, also were guests.  

The Freezes were fond of boasting that they were the oldest family-run restaurant in the state.  They also capitalized on their proximity to Camp David, using the fact in their advertising and naming the Inn's rooms after presidents.  In 2005, they started a small Museum on the history of the Inn, its famous guests, and its connection to Camp David.  They also sold souvenirs that related to that connection.  They regularly hosted weddings and other events and were famous for their lavish holiday decorations.  At Christmas they set up gingerbread houses, multiple Christmas trees, a miniature railroad village, etc.   The Cozy Inn's restaurant cultivated a large number of repeat, loyal customers with its family atmosphere and comfort food.  Some of its dishes became locally famous, like its clam chowder.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2.75 Cubic feet (8 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1885-2015, undated
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1345
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Menus
label: Type
content: Newsletters
label: Type
content: Magazines (periodicals)
label: Type
content: Placemats
label: Type
content: Photograph albums
label: Type
content: Guidebooks
label: Type
content: Dvds
label: Type
content: Visitors' books
label: Type
content: Videocassettes
label: Type
content: Letters (correspondence)
label: Type
content: Promotional literature
label: Type
content: Slides (photographs)
label: Type
content: Programs
label: Type
content: Postcards
label: Type
content: Certificates
label: Type
content: Recipes
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Audiocassettes
label: Type
content: Business records
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Brochures
label: Type
content: Articles
label: Type
content: Advertisements
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into five series.

Series 1, Administrative Files, 1885-2014, undated


Series 2, Menus, 1943-2015, undated


Series 3, Printed Advertisements and Ephemera, 1932-2014, undated


Series 4, Magazine Articles and Newspaper Clippings, 1935-2013, undated


Series 5, Photographic Materials, 1920-2009, undated
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Eric Ross, intern, 2018; Catarina Hurtado, intern, 2018; and Bryanna Bauer, intern, 2018; supervised by  Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, supervisory  archivist.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Menus
label: Genre/Form
content: Newsletters
label: Genre/Form
content: Magazines (periodicals)
label: Genre/Form
content: Placemats
label: Genre/Form
content: Photograph albums
label: Genre/Form
content: Guidebooks
label: Genre/Form
content: DVDs
label: Genre/Form
content: Visitors' books
label: Genre/Form
content: Videocassettes
label: Genre/Form
content: Letters (correspondence)
label: Genre/Form
content: Promotional literature
label: Genre/Form
content: Slides (photographs)
label: Genre/Form
content: Programs
label: Genre/Form
content: Postcards
label: Genre/Form
content: Certificates
label: Genre/Form
content: Recipes
label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings
label: Genre/Form
content: Audiocassettes
label: Genre/Form
content: Business records
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 21st century
label: Genre/Form
content: Brochures
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Articles
label: Genre/Form
content: Advertisements
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Collection documents the management, day-to-day operations, activities, and history of the Cozy Inn business. Materials include registration records; accounting papers and other business records; correspondence, including some fan mail; internal employee newsletters; the restaurant's menus for ordinary days, and for special occasions and holidays; take-out and catering menus; recipes; placemats; handbooks for employees; internal memos and instructions about hiring procedures, employee comportment and protocol; and advertising and promotional materials. It is evident that the Cozy Inn's owners were aware of its historical significance and they saved advertising brochures from various time periods, newspaper clippings and magazine advertisements, certificates, honors and awards, photograph albums, a scrapbook, and voluminous amounts of clippings.  The photographs contained in the collection are extremely rich, documenting both the physical changes in the hotel and restaurant over the years, entertainment activities, and several celebrity guests who stayed there. The collection is arranged into five series: Series 1, Administrative Files, 1885-2014, undated; Series 2, Menus, 1943-2015, undated; Series 3, Printed Advertisements and Ephemera, 1932-2014, undated; Series 4, Magazine Articles and Newspaper Clippings, 1935-2013, undated; and Series 5, Photographic Materials, 1920-2009, undated.