Saxtons River Inn and Restaurant (Hotel Kimball)

After 1900 the streetcar that ran between Bellows Falls and Saxtons River turned this village into a thriving home of manufactories, Saxtons River Academy, and substantial local commerce. In 1903, a consortium of village businessmen formed the Saxtons River Hotel Company, demolished an early-nineteenth-century inn on this large lot, and erected this wood-frame “modern hotel.” At three-and-a-half stories it is still the largest building in the village. William H. Dean, a local builder and a principal in the company, is credited with the construction. Having an ample U-shaped footprint, the building is distinguished by a five-story corner tower, which provided a public lounge on each floor. It also has two-story open porches on its south and east sides. The east porch once extended the full length of that side, where meals were served during the summer months. Known as the Hotel Kimball with F. F. Shepard as the proprietor, the hotel served commercial travelers, academy visitors, and summer tourists. Today, the hotel is largely unchanged but for its updated rooms, remaining in business as an inn and restaurant.