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This is an online event.Be Our Guest! Dinner & Panel Discussion on the History of Wayside Inn Hospitality
The tradition of hospitality has been a constant in The Wayside Inn’s long history. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Howe’s Tavern served as a popular stop for travelers along the Boston Post Road. The Victorian period was a time of pilgrimage for Longfellow fans who visited the site for poetic inspiration. The 20th century began a long period of tourism, which continues to this day, for travelers coming from near and far to visit the historic inn and grounds. Throughout the last 300+ years, the goal has always been to provide good food, excellent service, and a memorable experience.
To learn more about the workers behind this history, we invite you to join The Wayside Inn Foundation panel discussion. Panelists will include interns Allison Densel and Lena Leavitt, who will share what they discovered from their analysis of Ford Era Hostess Diaries and oral history interviews of current staff members. Director of Community Engagement Sally Hild, Archivist Lauren Prescott, and Education Coordinator Katina Fontes will also participate and share what they have unearthed through their own work. All of this research is part of a long-term project on the history of hospitality at The Wayside Inn Historic Site.
Participants may choose to purchase tickets for the talk and dinner or just the talk itself. Prior to the event a link to the virtual talk will be emailed to participants. Dinners will be available for pick-up on the day of the event between 5:00-6:00 pm and will include:
- An assortment of Grist Mill rolls and muffins
- Fresh mixed green salad with house raspberry vinaigrette
- Choice of:
- Wayside Inn chicken pie (all chicken, no vegetables, fresh crust) w/ whipped potatoes & green beans
- Butternut squash ravioli with sage brown butter sauce
- Chocolate ganache cake
The cost of the talk is $10 per household for nonmembers/$7 for members/FREE for Innkeeper's Circle members. (Please note: Innkeeper's Circle membership is provided to donors with an annual donation of $1000+). Takeout dinners cost $25 per person.
The Wayside Inn Foundation is a Massachusetts nonprofit organization formed in 1944 to own, operate and preserve Longfellow’s Wayside Inn along with nine other historic buildings located on 100 acres in Sudbury, Massachusetts. For more information visit wayside.org or find us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.