Hanover Inn undergoes touch-ups
By Lauren Alpeyrie
Published on Thursday, April 12, 2007
Workers scale scaffolding Wednesday at the Hanover Inn, where projects are underway to fix the roof, copper the dormers and make general repairs.
Main Street passersby will notice this week that the familiar sight of the Hanover Inn has recently been obscured by scaffolds extending to the hotel's roof.
The current round of renovations is just routine maintenance, according to Hanover Inn General Manager Carl Pratt, and will include general repairs on the roof, new copper on the dormers and possibly some paint touch-ups.
"It's basically just repair, and wear and tear," Pratt said.
The extent of repair, however, is still being negotiated.
"At this point we are looking at renovations of the inn and reviewing what the needs are," Pratt said.
Pratt explained that the roof and dormers will be completed by the end of April, should weather conditions be suitable to the work. With snow and sleet predicted for the next two days, however, renovations may take longer.
The inn is owned by the College, but Pratt said the College was not consulted on these repairs and is not paying for the renovations. The project will be entirely funded by the inn.
The Hanover Inn has a long history of renovations and structural changes that dates back almost as far as the founding of the College in 1769, according to the inn's website. Originally the home of General Brewster, the College's first steward, it was transformed into a tavern in 1780 before being expanded to become the Hanover Hotel in 1813, which burned to the ground in 1887.
Since 1901, when the College initiated the construction of the current building, the inn has undergone much remodeling, as well as both interior and exterior expansion to accommodate more guests and alumni.