A Brief History

The history of the Franconia Inn is a story set against the larger events of American history when the North Country was an agrarian society. Shortly after the incorporation of the town of Franconia in 1772, Zebedee Applebee acquired the property upon which the Franconia Inn now stands and erected a homestead. President Jefferson was, at that time, contemplating the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, and the Lewis and Clark expedition into the West was about to get underway. Twelve years after it was built, the homestead would hold the first of an unbroken line of Town Meetings. Though undocumented, several generations lived at the Applebee site. We do know that subsequent owners, Mr. & Mrs. Zara Thayer, worked the land as a farm and then sold it for a modest price to Mr. Henry Spooner in 1865. Meanwhile, General Lee had surrendered at Appomattox and though the nation's agony subsided, the war had managed to invade the very center of Franconia life. Cannons used in the struggle were made at the Franconia Foundry which later reverted to the production of peaceful goods such as the famous Franconia stoves, kettles, and nails.

As America turned toward relaxation, a tradition was born. Mr. & Mrs. Spooner took in 'summer boarders' as did most other valley farmers. Each farmer/host had a private wagon with which to pick up guests at the Littleton railroad station, 9 miles to the north. These wagons also shuttled people so they could enjoy the beautiful scenery. Each June through mid-October, a steady flow of guests arrived and through the years Mr. Spooner and his son prospered. The automotive age proved beneficial for tourism in the North Country. When Henry Spooner died, Edward and Gladys Mckenzie purchased the property. Their tradition of graciousness and hospitality drew not only the summer boarders but also the first mobile tourists. Despite the Depression, the popularity of Mckenzie's grew. The lovely farm-turned-inn was filled with charming old furnishings, but in January 1934, catastrophe struck. On a dreadfully cold night, a biting thirty-five below zero, Mckenzie's was consumed by fire. A new structure designed as a Country Inn was then built, and now it has grown to proudly welcome guests from all around the world!

In 1981 the Morris family acquired the Franconia Inn as their fourth vacation resort. Third generation innkeepers, Proprietors Richard and Alec Morris, enjoyed a long-standing, solid reputation for their excellence in hospitality, and their remarkably high standards of quality. Most recently, the Inn was purchased by the Ricciardelli family from Massachusetts who are working to preserve the efforts of the innkeepers before them, while bringing their own vision and energy to the property and guest experience.