What a great day!

Yesterday the Publick House was surrounded by Spring. It was a beautiful Easter Sunday even though the weather was a bit cool.  Inside the Publick House, guests, many of them repeat guests, enjoyed a wonderful holiday dinner with their loved ones.  From parties of two and three up to groups of 13 and more, the atmosphere was festive and bright–a sure sign of the seasons changing.

So many happy people enjoying each other at the Publick House!

A great buffet awaited hungry guests.  Massive cooked shrimp with tangy sauce, green salad with maple dressing, Caesar salad, clam chowder, mashed potatoes, tortellini in tomato coulis, turkey, stuffing, braised lamb, chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, ham, roast beef…delicious!

Easter basket ice sculpture on the buffet

The hotel was humming throughout the day and it was wonderful to see people lingering in order to talk with each other, hugging family and friends, telling anyone who would listen how much they loved everything.  Most importantly, people made plans to return next year.  And we can’t wait to see you again!

So long....farewell! We look forward to seeing you at another event!

It’s not too early to think about Mother’s Day!  We can’t wait to see you and your family back at the Publick House!

Community Dinners

Come to the next Community Dinner!

Some of the most wonderful events we do at the Publick House are our monthly Community Dinners.  We wanted a way to give back to this community that has been so good to us over the years so we put word out that any charitable organizations looking for a vehicle to raise donations need only ask us and we would have a dinner specifically for that organization.  It started as a trickle at first but now we are approached by many different groups and are proud of how much both the guests and organizations value these events.

 

The cost is $13/Adult and $5/Children and each sponsored organization receives $4 from every dinner served.  The response has been overwhelming. Some people come back again and again if the organizations have special meaning to them.  Below is the schedule of Community Dinners for the rest of 2012:

• April 23 ~ Sturbridge Rotary/Sturbridge Co-op School ~ NEW ENGLAND COMFORT FEAST
• May 7 ~ Black Tavern Dudley/First Congregational Church Oxford ~ TURKEY FEAST
• May 16 ~ Multiple Sclerosis ~ ITALIAN FEAST
• June 4 ~ Charlton Masonic Angel Fund/Tri-Valley Meals on Wheels ~ NEW ENGLAND COMFORT FEAST
• June 13 ~ Multiple Sclerosis ~ TURKEY FEAST
• July 9 ~ Leicester Public Library/Literacy Volunteers ~ ITALIAN FEAST
• August 13 ~ First Baptist Church of North Oxford/Sturbridge Optimist Club ~ NEW ENGLAND COMFORT FEAST
• September 10 ~ Charlton Youth Soccer/Hitchcock Academy ~ TURKEY FEAST
• October 22 ~ Tantasqua Music Association/First Congregational Church Spencer ~ ITALIAN FEAST
• November 12 ~ Autism/Mitochondrial Disease ~ NEW ENGLAND COMFORT FEAST
• December 10 ~ United Church of Christ Federated Webster/Mary Queen of Rosary Parish Spencer ~ TURKEY FEAST

All feasts are All You Can Eat Buffets and include salad, dinner rolls, dessert, coffee, tea, soft drinks and water.  There are two seatings to choose from: either 4:30pm-6:15pm or 6:30-7:30pm. We would love to see you at one of them ~ each for a great cause and all a wonderful chance to visit with friends, family and your neighbors!

If you are interested in having your charitable organization considered for a Community Dinner in 2013 or would just like more information on any of the organizations listed, call us at 508-347-3313.

OSV

What’s OSV, you ask?  That is what we very affectionately call Old Sturbridge Village ~ a wonderful neighbor of the Publick House.  When the robins fly about and the buds pop out on the trees, school groups begin to visit the Village, and families spend long hours in the fresh air going from house to house, from farm to mills, seeing what life was like from 1790-1830 in New England.

Old Sturbridge Village came out of a labor of love by the Wells family (of American Optical in Southbridge).  Starting in the 1940s, the family painstakingly dismantled, moved and reconstructed historic New England buildings onto 200 acres in Sturbridge, once owned by David Wight, land that already had a grist mill and saw mill on it.  Eventually, a “farm village” and a “town common”, with meeting house, law office, general store, Tavern and many other period structures made this trip back in time complete.

View of the Common at Old Sturbridge Village
(photo courtesy of OSV)

The Old Sturbridge Village website says, “They may not have known it at the beginning, but the Wells brothers were following a path that would lead to the creation of a major American museum. Interestingly, the same course was also being taken by members of other prominent American industrial families in the 1920s and 1930s. John D. Rockefeller Jr. (Colonial Williamsburg), Henry Ford (Greenfield Village), and Henry Francis DuPont (Winterthur), among others, had become serious collectors and preservers of the American past. These individuals were very different, as were their collections and museums. But they shared more than wealth and prominence. Each was concerned with preserving and cherishing pieces of the past against the powerful currents of change in early twentieth-century America, currents so powerful that it seemed they might carry away everything old.”

Today, OSV is visited by people young and old, history buffs, architecture-lovers, nature-watchers, re-enactors, historic societies, garden groups, international travelers and more.  Activities like School Vacation Week events, Girl Scout and Boy Scout days, Muster Day, Evening at the Kiln, Fireworks on the 4th of July, Agricultural Expedition, Homeschooling Days, Christmas by Candlelight and more, coupled with watching the interpreters blacksmithing, making candles, creating pottery, and working in the fields, make a visit to Old Sturbridge Village interesting as well as interactive.  A fantastic Museum store offers visitors some of these handmade products.

Making Cookies
(photo courtesy of OSV)

The Village is open year-round, from 9:30am-4pm.  Please visit www.osv.org for more information and pricing.

The Publick House is proud to be a long-time partner with Old Sturbridge Village so please stay with us when you come to the area to immerse yourself in this wonderful attraction!

Piece of History

The Publick House Historic Inn has such a wonderful history. It is on our website and has been mentioned in other places but it is definitely worth mentioning again here…

Publick House Historic Inn--taking its rightful place in Massachusetts history

It is important to note that Sturbridge became a popular stop for many because the old Boston Post Road ran through town. As a matter of fact, in 1754, when Benjamin Franklin was deputy postmaster of the Thirteen Colonies, he inspected many of the colonial Post Offices and used the Boston Post Road as his main thoroughfare.  Most likely, Franklin passed right by or maybe even stopped into the Publick House.

Located right on the common, the Publick House was a favorite stopping place for all who passed by. The inn’s founder and keeper, Colonel Ebenezer Crafts, made frequent rounds and saw to it that each guest was satisfied and comfortable. In 1824 the tavern and the common were visited by General Lafayette and his son, George Washington Lafayette.

The Marquis de Lafayette--a visitor to the Publick House

Colonel Crafts has left his equestrian profile on the Publick House’s familiar sign. His legacy is one of majestic elms and maples shading the picturesque grounds. Of course, his spirit of uncompromising good taste and hospitality covers every greeting, eating, and meeting at the Publick House.

Publick House sign with Colonel Crafts on his horse.

We look forward to seeing you here–as you join 250 years’ worth of visitors and guests to this historic building!

Picture Craze

We have joined the Pinterest craze!

Have you heard of it? It is a very cool way to share anything and everything you may like in a visually exciting environment.  There are boards for Fashion, Art, History, Nature, Decorating, Travel, and the list goes on and on.

Pinterest Logo

The logo above will look very familiar very soon–so many places are collecting photos and “pinning” them to their online boards. In an article in Hispanic Business magazine, Pinterest founder Ben Silbermann says about Pinterest, “A ‘pin’ is a digital representation of an object that means something to you,” he said. “When you open the site, you should see things that you love — and be able to connect to the people who found them.”

That connection is what brought the Publick House to the Pinterest world.  We wanted to connect with all our customers, clients and guests and as the old saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” we hope you find the photos we share with you meaningful and that you will repin some of our photos that are meaningful to you.

We have started with a wedding board and will continue with a look at the great things of all types in the Sturbridge area and of course, a look at the history of the Publick House, through postcards, newspaper articles and old photos.

A Photo from the Publick House Wedding Trends Board

Please become a fan of our Publick House Boards!  And let us know if you are a Pinner too!

Those Sentimental Sticky Buns

If you aren’t that familiar with the Publick House, then the title up there may be a little confusing, maybe even suggestive…but what I have noticed, is that when I tell people that I have anything at all to do with the Publick House, they begin to tell me stories about how they visited the Bake Shoppe for a cupcake when they were staying at the Publick House during summer vacations past or when they were kids and on their way to Grandma’s house, mom and dad always stopped in to the Bake Shoppe to get eclairs and cookies and yes, sticky buns to bring for dessert!

Publick House Bake Shoppe

Those memories are amazing to hear and it is wonderful that people of all ages have positive associations with our Bake Shoppe.  The cases of delectable delights are always full: chocolate-dipped macaroons, M&M cookies, whoopie pies, artistically-frosted cakes, and pies to die for!  The orders for treats at Thanksgiving and Christmas come in fast and furious–they are hard to keep up with!

She's an artist!

The Bake Shoppe has had a makeover in the recent past.  The cases have been spruced up, the decor changed, new cases added with Food on the Go, and tables re-arranged.  The sign outside is still familiar to people, that’s for sure!  Next time you’re in the area make sure to stop in to get some treats and tell the person behind the counter your memorable Bake Shoppe story!

And now...here they are. The famous sticky buns!

Bake Shoppe hours are: 7am to 6pm Sunday through Thursday and  7am to 8pm Friday and Saturday. We are taking orders now for Easter!  April 4 is the deadline.  Here is the form.

Easter at the Publick House

Even though there is snow on the ground, we at the Publick House Historic Inn in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, still turn our faces toward Spring.  And what better way to start Spring than with our Easter buffet.  Although we are pleased that the event gets raves every year, it’s not only about the food…it’s about the regulars that come back year after year.  It’s about the comaraderie of the staff who work on the holiday, making sure the number one priority is the comfort and satisfaction of every guest at our table.  It’s even about the little chicks who make an appearence in our hotel during that time: the oohs and aahs from adults and children as they see the little feathery creatures under the safe, warm lights.

Get Ready for the Baby Chicks at the Publick House

On Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012, we have two great Easter meals for you to attend.  First is the Easter Breakfast Buffet from 8am-10am.  The menu is below and the cost is $15.95 for Adults and $9.95 for Children ages 3-12.

Fresh Seasonal Fruit Salad

Assorted Fresh Publick House Breakfast Pastries

Assorted Cold Cereals

Scrambled Eggs

Ham and Cheese Strata

Bacon and Sausage

Corned Beef Hash

Home-Fried Breakfast Potatoes

Omelet Station

Belgian Waffles, served with Whipped Cream,

Strawberries, and Maple Syrup

Apple Dumplings

Coffee, Tea, Juice or Soft Drink

The second event is our Easter Dinner Buffet served from 10:30am-6:30pm.  The cost is $32.95 for Adults and $13.95 for Children 3-12. The menu is way too extensive to list so here it is. Some of the highlights are:  a variety of salad choices, poached shrimp, smoked salmon, antipasto, New England Baked Scrod, Braised Lamb, Turkey, Tortellini, Clam Chowder, Prime Rib, Ham, a Children’s station,  and an assortment of delicious and decadent desserts.

Carving Station at the Easter Dinner Buffet

Reservations are reqired and the buffet seatings fill up quickly, so please call 508-347-3313.  We look forward to seeing you here for this time-honored tradition!