Description
In 1759, three men sat in a tavern in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to carve a town from the northeastern shore of Lake Winnipesogee (original spelling of Lake Winnipesaukee). Having laid out its boundaries, they realized they needed a name. After much discussion over many tall mugs of ale and rum, they decided on 'Wolfeborough' (original spelling of Wolfeboro) in honor of the most famous general of their time, General James Wolfe, who had just died in the arms of his officers on the Plains of Abraham, having defeated the French under Montcalm at the Battle of Quebec.
Today, 'Wolfeboro' has the distinction of being known as 'The Oldest Summer Resort in America' and while General Wolfe never passed through, nor had anything to do with Wolfeboro, the town is best know as the summer home of colonial Governor John Wentworth, who had great interest in developing the area following his arrival in 1759.
Built in 1812 by the Rodgers family, The Wolfeboro Inn has a proud history. The original house remained a private residence for about 75 years but as summer visitors grew in number, the residence became the Copper Kettle and provided food and lodging to the weary traveler all the way from Boston. In the early thirties, it was renamed the Carr House and operated during the summer months complete with waiters in white gloves who attended to every need of their pampered guests. The Inn's cozy rooms were filled with good books and a zephyr of a breeze from the 'Big Lake' to soothe the city visitor.
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