| Built in 1786 by Captain St John, a veteran of the
American Revolution (Connecticut), this former
stagecoach stop of yesteryear is alive with history.
One of the longest continuously running Masonic Lodges in
America was founded on the top floor of the inn in
1802. The Inn reportedly was commandeered by British officers
during the War of 1812.
Before and during the Civil War, the Inn was a stop
on the Underground Railroad. A tunnel that runs from
the main house to the wine house across the road
remains to spark your imagination. During the early
part of the 20th Century the property became one of
the largest dairy farms in New York (Hall Dairy Farm - Brookside Dairy).
In 1969 the property was purchased by a member of
the Rockefeller Family (Alexander Aldrich) who was the Commissioner of the
New York Department of Environmental Conservation. He operated the property as a
farm until 1980. The property went into decline until
1987 when the present innkeepers purchased it and
restored the historic Wayside Inn (1988-present).
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