Home Away from Home
Imust have driven by the property a hundred times during my journeys north on Route 7A through Manchester. Each time, I admired the stone wall and the painted sign, turning my gaze ever slightly to keep it in my view as I passed. It seemed like a welcoming place to step back in time. Settled on a gentle slope, the INN at Ormsby Hill holds over 250 years of Vermont heritage inside its walls, including its namesake, Revolutionary War hero, Gideon Ormsby. Constructed in 1764 by Thompson Purdy, the building ranks among the oldest in the community, and much has been written about its history. It changed ownership multiple times before entering its most notable period in 1885, marked by
42 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine. com the arrival of Edward Swift Isham.
Isham was a prominent Chicago attorney, a Vermont native, and the law partner of Robert Todd Lincoln, the only surviving son of President Abraham Lincoln. He transformed the old Purdy farmstead into a grand summer estate, working with architect F. W. Stickney to add a tower, verandas, greenhouses, and a sugarhouse for maple syrup production. The estate quickly became one of Southern Vermont’ s most elegant retreats, welcoming distinguished guests including President William Howard Taft and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant.
Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’ s son, was a regular visitor— and he loved
Manchester so much he tried to convince his friend to sell him a piece of the hill. The story, still told with delight today, is that Isham famously refused:“ You’ re my best friend and law partner; you’ re NOT going to be my next-door neighbor.” After Isham’ s death in 1902, Lincoln was able to acquire the land behind Ormsby Hill, where he built Hildene— now one of Vermont’ s most visited historic sites. The two estates remain linked to this day, neighbors in both history and spirit.
After decades as a charitable foundation serving underprivileged boys from New York City, Ormsby Hill was converted into a bed and breakfast in 1987. It has earned the AAA Four-Diamond Award every year since 2000 and is listed on