Motor Inn Now Just A Memory
March 28, 2007 on 3:36 pm | In Local, Main |
Update: Click here to read my news story on the motor lodge.
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The old Salisbury Motor Inn (or Motor Lodge) on Route 44 at the bottom of Smith Hill was demolished today by Bunce Construction.
I moved to this area in 1990 and I never recall a successful business operating in there for very long.
A series of restaurants operated in the main building and I’m not sure I remember the hotel rooms being occupied during that time. I recall a Carribean eatery in the early 90s and, of course, most recently, there was a restaurant opened by the owner of the former Canaan Pizza.
The assessor’s card notes that the property had septic problems. Not surprising since it sits on the edge of a swamp. Somone told me the motor lodge was created when a series of cabins was moved from Ashley Falls and lashed together make a motel. This would have been the late 1960s or early 70s.
The property was sold last year to Peter Zagres. The current owner, I am told, is Scott Bok, proprietor of the White Hart Inn. I am trying to track Scott down to find out what he intends to do with the property. The motel had become an eyesore, to say nothing of being a safety liability, so I am glad it was taken down.
We have a photo of the demolition on the front page of this week’s LJ print edition. I do plan to write an article for next week’s paper that looks at the history of the place. Anyone have any stories to share about that building? I’ll bet you have some tales to tell, Marshall.
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Terry….
My brother Mitchell ran a restaurant at that location in the 80’s! It was very succesful for breakfast and lunch…then he added dinners, hired a chef, and poof!!!, there went the profits!!!
Mitchell was also married in that restaurant! I think it was his third, Don Warner was the JP for that one!!
When I was in high school, I think it had a super big rocking chair in front of it…from time to time the chair would vanish,and showup at another location!
Where are the police going to turn around now, and where are cell phone users going to sit and talk now…..
Comment by Marshall Miles — March 28, 2007 #
Strangely enough, I stayed there once while passing through the NW Corner with a young lady from the UK. It was a memorable night, though not for the accommodations.
Comment by Jake — March 28, 2007 #
I remember the big rocking chair …
I went to HVRHS with one of the sons of the owner/operator at that time (70’s) …
Never went there …
So much for my thoughts …
Comment by Michael Flint — March 28, 2007 #
I know a fellow that was hired to remove the junk from the site prior to demolition. The rumor he heard is that WAL MART is moving in!!!
IT’S A JOKE!!!
Seriously, he said that Bunce is to demolish and grade the site. It will return to nature, for the time being.
The dirt drive should still be there, at least in spirit.
Comment by Paul Bartomioli — March 28, 2007 #
Many years ago, I think the early sixties, brothers Ralph and Elmer Morck, both now deceased, ran a service station & rest stop there. It was very busy because tractor trailers used to have a rough time on Smith Hill and broke down often, or just stopped to rest there for a break. Maybe Elmer’s widow, Helen Morck, or Ralph’s son, Tom Morck could fill Terry in with more information on the place.
I also remember when it was the Rocking Chair, and my parents often would go there for dinner. It was a pretty popular place. Sad that it never did well after that.
Comment by Judy Jacobs — March 28, 2007 #
I can remember both the Mobil service station and the individual cabins that once comprised the inn back in the 1950’s. They were quite a sight as each cabin had a different colored neon tube along the ridge pole (Weren’t the 50’s fun?) At that time the entire property was a dense grove of white pine trees. At some point the owner drastically thinned the trees and grouped the cabins together. I believe that is when the giant rocking chair came on the scene. After the rocking chair era, no one seemed to be able to make it work.
Comment by Dick Paddock — March 28, 2007 #
These stories are great. The image of that huge chair is priceless. Reminds me of a giant chair I used to drive by in Gardner, Mass. I think it’s still there.
Comment by Terry — March 29, 2007 #
Those are, indeed, great stories about the old place in your neck of the woods. Just one more place on which they should have hung a sign: Jake slept here. And the largest rocking chair in the world? Should have been moved to the lawn of the mansion in Palm Beach, where the biggest ass in the world resides. Trump? Limbaugh? Fill in the blank.
Comment by Terrence McCarthy — March 29, 2007 #
Once they took the gas pumps out the place went down hill! It was a great meeting place to coffee up,gas up and chat on the way to work. Also,on Race weekends the cabins were always booked.
Comment by Mike Haupt — March 29, 2007 #
Scott lives not too far from there and has a strong conservation track record. I’m betting you won’t see a Wal-Mart, or much else.
Comment by Tim Abbott — March 29, 2007 #
Many years ago, it must have been the late 70’s, I waitressed there and it did pretty well. I can’t remember the name of the couple who owned it - the wife had a foreign accent, I think. I remember the uniforms were blue dresses with smock tops and the glassware was amber in color - anyone else remember that? What was the name of the place then? There weren’t any gas pumps so it was after that. It must have been before Marshall’s brother was there.
Comment by Samantha — March 29, 2007 #
The old Salisbury Motel filled a real need and ran for a number of years as the successful Rocking Chair and I remember well when the Candito’s ran a very good Italian restaurant- it was family owned and operated and in 1973 I lived in the efficiency apartment for 6 months before college, at the end of the motel and helped at the restaurant when they needed a hand. That was the last successful incarnation. After that the Burkhart family took it over in the early eighties,with no restaurant experience and tried it for a few years (again a family run business) It never really took off- you could call Jay Burkhart is Canaan as it was his family from out of town. Since then it has never been successful for any length of time.
Kathy Vernali from Canaan was a manager there in one of the last attempts eight? or so years ago. Deb Segalla tried a night spot before that for a summer or two.
Comment by sandra gomez — April 4, 2007 #