Merwinsville Hotel

Seeking Artists for Show

Artists are being sought for a special show to celebrate the unveiling of the Merwinsville Hotel Restoration Ballroom.

The show will open June 30th from 2 to 4PM and be on display through September 14th. The theme of the show is views of the historic Merwinsville Hotel, both interior and exterior.

There will be cash awards in three different mediums, painting/drawing, photography and mixed media. A judge will determine winners. The first place prize in each category is $150 and the second place prize is $75. Artists are limited to one submission and the entry fee is $20.

Entries for this special show are due June 16th and must have been completed in the last three years. The show will be on display throughout the summer and visitors will be able to vote on the People’s Choice Award. Artists are encouraged to offer their work for sale. The Hotel collects a 30 percent commission on sales.

The history of the hotel begins in 1837 when surveyors for the Housatonic Railroad were looking for the best route up the valley through Gaylordsville. They spent a few nights in the hotel, west of the river, that was run by Sylvanus Merwin, a shrewd businessman.

It opened for business in 1843 as a meal and station stop for the Housatonic Rail Road that ran between Bridgeport and Pittsfield. The hotel opened for business as a meal stop for passenger trains in 1843—the same year that Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol. Business boomed up until the late 1870s when Pullman dining cars made stopping at the hotel unnecessary. Years passed and although valiant efforts were made to try to keep the hotel going, it fell into terrible disrepair.

In 1971, several local townspeople decided to save the building. Through volunteer and fundraising efforts, it was saved from certain destruction. The second floor now features rooms with period furniture and decor reminiscent of the hotel’s earliest years. There is also a museum of artifacts featuring the rich history of the Gaylordsville area. The ballroom, soon to be unveiled, has been under renovation for 53 years.

For more information and to receive a prospectus with all the details for the art submissions, contact Jeremy Ruman at jeremy@merwinsvillehotel.org.

For further information, call 860-350-4443.

The Merwinsville Hotel, a national historic landmark, is located at 1 Browns Forge Road in Gaylordsville CT.