This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

The Gris at the Center of Several Village Renovations

Main Street in Essex has been a bit of a construction zone since the beginning of the year, but one of the biggest projects, a renovation of the venerable Griswold Inn, will be wrapping up soon and celebrated on Thursday, Oct. 4 during the town’s monthly First Thursday celebration.

“We thought it was the perfect opportunity to have our big reveal and open house,” said Joan Paul, a member of the Paul family that owns the Griswold Inn and its campus, which includes several properties around and across the street from the inn at 36 Main Street, Essex.

The open house will be held on the back patio of the Hayden House, just across the lane from the inn, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 4.

“We will be opening our doors for people to tour on their own,” Paul said.

The Hayden House includes four guest accommodations and two common spaces, including the patio, which is a recent addition and part of the renovations.

“We can’t wait to host everyone on our brand new patio,” she said.

Paul said the open house is, in part, intended to thank neighbors and the community for being so patient with the construction.

“It’s been a bit of a disruptive time. We started Jan. 2 and the renovation is still going on, although it will wrap up, hopefully, soon,” she said.

The open house also will let everyone see the results of the renovation, which was designed to add modern amenities while still respecting the buildings’ historic character.

“Because of our prominence on Main Street, we knew it was important as part of our renovation, to preserve the historic nature of the structure,” Paul said.

The inn opened its doors to the public in 1776, while the American Revolution was being waged and King George began to realize things were not going as well as he would have hoped with his troops. Essex was in the midst of an economic boom fed in part by activity to support shipbuilding for the nascent nation. After the war, economic activity related to trade and shipping on the Connecticut River helped sustain the inn, and the town.

The Griswold Inn managed to survive even Prohibition and the Great Depression, making it one of the oldest continuously operated inns and taverns in the country.

The Paul family of Essex bought the inn in 1995.

Paul says they are proud to be owners of the inn, and part of a historic area populated by many others who similarly committed to preserving and nurturing the buildings there. She noted that several other area homeowners are renovating as well.

“There have been extensive renovations in town over the past few years. Various residences have turned over and the owners have pulled out all of the stops, some renovating an already-renovated home to new heights of perfection,” she said. “Perfecting perfection is a phrase I have used often while referring a few such properties.

“The Griswold Inn and all of the buildings on our Main Street campus are certainly a big part of this. During our 24-year tenure, we have always been committed to preserving these important Main Street structures and thus our history,” she said.

Amy Cameron, president of the Essex Board of Trade, said she and the other merchants in town are grateful for that commitment.

“It’s huge. We are so grateful for the Pauls and the Griswold Inn, and all of the property that the Pauls own. There’s a big difference between landlords and owners who live in town, and absentee landlords. Unfortunately, we have had some property owned by landlords who don’t care if it is disrepair, who don’t care if it’s empty,” she said. “The Pauls live in town, they care about the town, they are totally invested in Essex, and the continuing growth and prosperity of the whole village.”

She said the Griswold Inn is considered an anchor in the town.

“There’s no denying it’s an anchor of the town. The fact that the Pauls are so dedicated to preserving it means everybody wins,” she said.