By Curt Peterson
Last week the Parker House Inn restaurant, bar, and bed and breakfast was purchased by Simon Pearce family enterprises for a reported $1.2 million.
Parker House was owned and operated by Adam and Alexandria Adler for 16 years before selling to the Pearce family. They live in Hartland.
As of Jan. 21, the restaurant’s website has been shut down, the only note stating, “The Parker House is not taking reservations at this time.” Trip Advisor, the online tourism site, still lists the establishment as active, advising menu prices range from $5 to $32 and assigning a 4.5 star rating from customer reviews.
The large 19th-century building was built in 1857 as a residence for the Parker family, owners of the J. C. Parker woolen textile mill next door in what now houses Simon Pearce’s “flagship” retail store, restaurant and glass-blowing and ceramics manufacturing.
Joseph Parker’s mill produced flannel, woven from coarse wool and used to manufacture clothing, particularly underwear, and bedding at the time.
The Pearce interests also own the large parking lot beyond the Parker House, the three combined properties line the bank of the Ottauquechee River that flows from Killington through Quechee to the Connecticut River in Hartland.
From the Simon Pearce restaurant diners can watch trout rising for insects in the river, as fishermen ply the pool below the parking area. When the atmosphere is right for it, colorful hot air balloons often use the setting for take-offs, floating over the village.
According to Meghan Mahoney, media contact at Simon Pearce, the family has no confirmed plans for the newly acquired property at this time, but they plan to advise the public when a decision has been made. Until then it will remain unoccupied.
“We are thrilled to reunite the Parker House property with the Mill at Simon Pearce,” Simon Pearce CEO Jay Benson said in a press release.
Parker House and Simon Pearce establishments have coexisted peacefully for years in spite of Pearce visitors frequently misusing the Inn’s marked proprietary parking spaces. Mahoney told the Mountain Times there have been no historical rifts between the owners over the parking issue.
Simon Pearce US Inc. headquarters is in Windsor. The firm owns 11 retail locations in Vermont, Maryland, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Online shopping and a corporate gifts department are also available at simonpearce.com.
