The Upton Inn, fully restored and open for business. Submitted [jptp
UPTON — The Upton House Inn, a historical building, has been purchased by Charlotte Coulombe. The inn is going through what Coulombe referred to as a “soft open.” She added, “There’s still a lot of work to do.”
Coulombe is a long-time resident of Upton, who grew up in the area and was familiar with the inn as a child. “My family and I would stay in Upton Inn,” she recounted, “and we really enjoyed it.” She has spent most of her life in Upton, including marrying in the Upton church.
After a time away, she moved back to be closer to her parents as they grew older. Around that time, the Upton Inn also became available for sale, and so she purchased it, hoping to share her love for the location with others. “We wanted to pass on the good times that we had,” she said.
A new feature of the inn is the inclusion of a cafe, where Coulombe plans to have baked goods. For this, she has recruited the help of her mother. “She’s an excellent pastry chef,” Coulombe said. Her mother, who formerly ran a bakery known as Lysandy’s, now shares her talents with Coulombe for the inn.
The Upton Inn itself is a historical building, dating back to the early 1900s, possibly even back to the 1800s. The earliest photo of it is documented in the Upton Historical Society, listed as being taken in 1910. The building has been renovated and restored over time, and made into the inn that it is today.
The earliest known picture of the Upton House, taken by the Belfast Postcard Company circa 1910. Upton Historical Society Collection
One feature of the Upton Inn that Coulombe has chosen to keep is the use of themes for each room. Each room is themed after one of the natural attractions of the area, including a Grafton Notch room and a Step Falls room.
“I wanted to have it as a reflection of my state from what I remember growing up in Upton and the places that I found intriguing.” She wanted to maintain the idea of themed rooms, but took her own spin on it to reflect the surrounding natural area.
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