Comments on: Motor Inn Now Just A Memory

By: sandra gomez

sandra gomez — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 01:59:43 +0000

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.

By: Samantha

Samantha — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 01:14:23 +0000

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.

By: Tim Abbott

Tim Abbott — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:48:38 +0000

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.

By: Mike Haupt

Mike Haupt — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 13:36:03 +0000

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.

By: Terrence McCarthy

Terrence McCarthy — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 12:04:07 +0000

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.

By: Terry

Terry — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:33:57 +0000

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.

By: Dick Paddock

Dick Paddock — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 03:30:26 +0000

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.

By: Judy Jacobs

Judy Jacobs — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 01:59:36 +0000

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.

By: Paul Bartomioli

Paul Bartomioli — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 00:18:50 +0000

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.

By: Michael Flint

Michael Flint — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 22:17:03 +0000

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 …