The Samuel Fitch House, Westford, Massachusetts
Press
The Lowell SunSunday, February 10, 2008
December 20, 2001
Winter Bridal Supplement
To Westford Eagle
February 15, 2007
Testimonials
"We've stayed at many, many, B&B's - in the U.S. and abroad - your mother made our visit to your wonderful home - even more wonderful." -- Fran and Matt M., Yardley, PA.
"So wonderful to be home ! Each visit is more special than the last . . ." -- Elizabeth, Herman and Sebbie P., KY a family from Groton School who stayed with us for four years of their son's schooling
"This house made it possible for the best New Years Eve I have had since I was sixteen years old. What a great house." -- Reg R., New York, N.Y. guest on New Years Eve to enjoy the fireworks
"Enjoyed our stay - Wonderful friendly Innkeeper - Beautiful well mannered children/young adults." -- Jeannette and Wayne B., Wallingford, CT.
"What a delightful stay - the food, the company, the history, Many thanks." -- Rick and Regina S., Ft. Myers, FL.
Reviews
- Stayed On: 8/2008
- While the house and the grounds are perfectly delightful, the real draw of the Samuel Fitch House is Lynne's warm hospitality and lovely conversation over delicious breakfast make for a throughly enjoyable start to the day.
- Stayed On: 6/2008
- We had a great experience holding a day & 1/2 business meeting. Quiet, cozy and accommodating retreat space.
- Stayed On: 4/2008
- Outstanding room service, cleanliness and dining. Will definitely be back!
- Stayed On: 12/2007
- Wow, winter must be the most beautiful time of the year in Westford. We enjoyed the views of lots of snow for hours every day while reading or just sitting and looking out the windows. You can literally walk to the skiing area, just 100 yards away. Lynne is a wonderful and funny hostess and is truly very concerned about the well being of her guests. We have really enjoyed her company when she was here. The house is very conveniently located, just a mile or 2 from a shopping area. The beautiful house itself contains 300 years of history and a lot of personality. We had a wonderful stay. Thanks Lynne!
- Stayed On: 10/2007
- Historical house - very interesting. Wonderful hostess - Lynne. We just loved our visit and would recommend it to everyone. Wished we could have stayed longer.
- Stayed On: 8/2006
- The owner is very hospitable and knowledgeable about the house, and always willing to learn more about it. The place is kept very clean and neat, and the food is fabulous!
The Lowell Sun
Sunday, February 10, 2008
INDIANS? HIDDEN BABIES? SAMUEL FITCH HOUSE HAS LEGENDS BY THE ROOMFUL
By Bridget Scrimenti
Westford - The basement has a secret tunnel.
A blood stain marks the bottom of a will, while a removable shelf leads to a hiding space.
Tucked off Powers Road, the Samuel Fitch House has a colorful past.
Now a cozy bed and breakfast, the blue saltbox Colonial borders Nashoba Valley Ski Area, once known as Nashoba Hill, where the Nashoba Indian tribe lived.
The home, built in 1711, is believed to have been a target for Indian attacks.
"The legend is that babies were hidden in the parson's cabinet," said owner Lynne Smithwood.
While there is a white cabinet over the fireplace in the dining room, it was probably used to keep liquor, and children were hidden in the eves of the roof, Smithwood said.
Upstairs, a small wooden rack of shelves leads to a hiding space, while Smithwood said other historic homes in town have found small chairs and beds in these spaces, possibly used to hide children from attacks.
It's unclear if the upstairs space was actually used to hide children.
Penny LaCroix, director of the Westford Museum, doesn't have documentation about children being hidden during attacks, but said another Westford home has a secret staircase.
The Capt. Pelatiah Fletcher House on Lowell Road has a "witch's staircase," leading from the second floor to the attic. Legend has it that people traveled up the narrow staircase to hide during Indian attacks, LaCroix said.
The Rev. Wilkes Allen's History of Chelmsford, published in 1820, which says a party of Indians came to the house of a settler, making "noises like swine."
"The man went out but did not return," Allen wrote. "His wife barred the doors and remained with her children until morning and on going out she found the head of her husband, stuck upon a pole."
Now, guests of the Samuel Fitch House can embrace the flavor of life in the 18th century with tea etiquette and re-enactments. In the living room, once called the "keeping room," a fire crackles next to a beehive oven once used to bake bread.
Smithwood is currently working to verify that the home was used during the Underground Railroad.
While the basement has a tunnel leading to where the road once was, the upstairs bedroom has a space between the wall and chimney, where someone could hide and keep warm, she said.
The home was built by the Rev. Walter Powers, and was later occupied by Samuel Fitch in 1732.
Fitch's will, marked with his blood, is framed and on display in the downstairs bedroom. Descendants of the Fitch family still visit the house.
Later, the Murphy, Bellinger and Caldwell families lived there before Smithwood's family, the Romacs, bought the home in 1968.
Smithwood's memories are fond and intimate. She said her father Richard was notorious for bringing home stray animals, even a goat.
The goat, Timothy, later had two babies, and Smithwood's grandmother, Josephine, would knit them purple sweaters with a zipper up the back, "They weren't easy to put on," Smithwood said.
One night, family friends were visiting and woke up to find the goats in their bedroom.
They didn't understand why the "llamas" in the bedroom were wearing clothing, Smithwood said.
The house now has a cat named Charlotte and a chocolate Lab, Malcolm.
"I had wonderful childhood memories and now we have wonderful memories of the guests who come," Smithwood said. "Everyone that comes to visit is an extension of our family."
[ Back To Top ]The Westford Eagle
Historic House Thriving
As Modern Convenience
December 20, 2001
SAMUEL FITCH BED AND BREAKFAST OFFERS QUIET, COLONIAL COMFORT
By Jackie Young
Perhaps it is the warmth of the welcome, perhaps the thought of fresh blueberry muffins for breakfast or maybe the expectation of crackling wood fires once the weather turns cold. Whatever the cause, the 290-year-old Samuel Fitch House, sturdy and visually beautiful, seems to beckon each visitor to pass through the red door and consider themselves a treasured guest.
"We try to treat people as if they're our old friends, and they end up that way," said Lynne Smithwood, innkeeper of this establishment which has offered bed and breakfast since January of this year.
Recently, through the Westford Historical Commission, Smithwood applied for the dwelling's nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. The Nation Register is the official listing of buildings, districts, sites, and structures and objects that retain integrity and demonstrate some aspect of local, state or national history.
The old saltbox, painted a colonial blue with a red barn close by, sits back on the left side of Nashoba Hill on Powers Road. The original road, still visible b the markings of the land, was of course, much closer to the street to allow easier access in inclement weather. The farmhouse was built in the central chimney style, with the stairway from the front entry following the chimney to two upstairs bedrooms. The original structure still stands in the main building, restored by Smithwood's parents, Richard and Mary Romac who bought the house in 1968.
They preserved the historic flavor magnificently.
"It's really cozy. It offers all the comfort of the 1700s plus the amenities of the 21st century," says Jane Hinckley, a vice president of the Westford Historical Commission.
Those who come in search of Colonial New England will not be disappointed. With wide floorboards beneath and hand-hewn beams above, exploring leads to one discovery after another. There are six original working fireplaces, a beehive oven, a parson's cabinet and a smoke room. Word has it that the parson's cabinet, built into the dining room wall, was a place to hide babies during raids by hostile natives.
One room in particular, the Samuel Fitch room, with a queen-sized canopy bed and a crewel embroidery cover, catches the eye. Here a framed document on the wall proclaims the original last will and testament of Samuel Fitch, who, on June 6, 1772, symbolized the gravity of the occasion with a thumb print in blood.
In addition to the Fitch room with an adjoining sitting room, there are two other options for guests. One is the garden suite, a large twin-bedded room in the original house where flowers bloom year round and the other is the carriage house with a sitting room, queen size bedroom and outdoor deck. In all the bedrooms sheets have crocheted edges and are ironed with linen water.
For animal lovers, the Carriage House comes wit the loan of a kitty for company. Known as Caty, the Carriage House cat, she will take up residence on request.
"I like to speak to everyone personally - like, for instance to see if they like dogs and cats," Smithwood said.
Colby, a big black lab is an excellent tour guide, quiet, gentle and of remarkable intelligence. He was his tail in all the right places.
Long before the place opened in January 2001, a small army of people, family, neighbors and friends, who remain faithful to this day, pitched in to help. While it's true that those who visit might be handed a paintbrush, or conscripted to mow the lawn or tend the gardens, everyone seems to have a good time.
The Smithwood children are all involved. Kelsey, 14, and Elizabeth, 10, acted as historical tour guides during open house, Jennifer 23, does graphic design work for the bed and breakfast, and the Smithwood's son, Brandon, a senior in high school, has ordered fruit trees to put in an orchard.
Fortunately, Smithwood loves to garden and her guests often enjoy fresh vegetables. This year, the tomato crop was abundant, enough for the angel hair pasta she likes to make. Berries from the raspberry and blueberry patches go down well at the breakfast table. While breakfast may be eaten in the gracious dining room, a screened porch and patio set amidst the flower gardens, is a great alternative in warm weather.
Guests may opt to have breakfast served in their rooms.
Most old houses have a story to tell, and the Fitch House is no exception. It was built by Walter Powers in 1711, and is a place where, over a period of almost 300 years, children were raised and nurtured. Samuel and his wife Joanne had three children - Samuel, Joanna and Lydia who were born after the parents bought the house in 1732. Others whose names were Leighton, Murphy, Wright, Bellinger or Caldwell took up residence over the years.
With parents Richard and Mary Romac, Lynne Smithwood together with five brothers, also grew up in this house. When her father passed away two years ago, Smithwood decided to keep the place going.
"I wanted to use the house in a nice way. It's a family home. A bed and breakfast is a nice way to do it," she said.
This summer, in Maine, she and the younger children studied the Indians and next year plan to put in the Fitch House garden, as the Indians would have in the 1700s. They also read the book 'Westford Days' by Marilyn Day, which chronicles everyday life in the 1800s.
[ Back To Top ]Winter Bridal Supplement
To Westford Eagle
February 15, 2007
GOING TO A WEDDING? MAKE IT A GETAWAY FOR YOURSELVES
By Noah R. Bombard
Staff Writer
It's the big day. You awaken to the smell of fresh baked muffins and coffee, enjoy a few quiet moments in the garden and await your ride. But the best thing about this wedding day: it's not yours.
Just because the bride and groom get all the attention doesn't mean guests at a wedding can't enjoy a little getaway themselves. And although hotels are usually the first choice for lodging wedding guests arriving from out of town, there are cozier options.
Paul and Lyn Slade own Charlotte's House Bed and Breakfast in Bolton. Aside from being located in an area rich with orchards and saltbox homes, they are one of a handful of bed and breakfasts located within a quick shot of Nashoba Valley Winery, the Fruitlands Museum and a plethora of local country clubs - all prime wedding locations.
When the wedding bells start ringing, so does their phone.
"I think there are sort of two types of travelers," Lyn Slade said, "those who want to stay at a bed and breakfast because they like the personal touch, and then the folks who prefer the anonymity of a hotel."
When you're staying at a three-bedroom bed and breakfast like Charlotte's House, a classic colonial-style inn, it's very personal.
Lodgers awaken to the smell of a home-cooked breakfast and with Lyn having just ended a long career in the catering business, lodgers get more than a coffee roll and a piece of fruit.
"The breakfast is pretty nice. Usually the breakfast brings them back," Slade said. But there's another advantage to bed and breakfast lodging for wedding guests.
"Usually our guest have a reason for being in town and they don't usually hang around a lot," Slade Said. "For us, wedding guests actually tend to be on the premises more."
And that's where a bed and breakfast becomes a pretty good option, particularly for out-of-staters traveling to the area for a wedding.
"If they're coming from out of state, they probably have never stayed a little quaint New England inn," said wedding planner Donna Kim, owner and principal planner for The Perfect Details in Concord.
When it comes to hotels versus bed and breakfasts, Kim said her clients often come to her looking for both.
"They're looking to put the bulk of their guests at a major hotel," Kim said. "It's easy to have transportation pick up at one spot."
And transportation can be an issue if your guests are spread out.
When Kim planned a wedding in Marblehead recently, local hotel options were limited. Shuttle vans had to make the rounds to pick everyone up. It can work, but it does present a challenge.
Of course, if your guests need a little more room some bed and breakfasts can offer that too.
The Samuel Fitch House in Westford offers a carriage house. Guests renting the carriage house can enjoy their own private living room and kitchenette. Another suite in the main house offers a living room area, too and can be closed off from the rest of the house for more privacy. And if an acre of paved parking lot at a modern hotel isn't your thing, you can sip ice tea under a large shady tree on the rolling front lawn during the summer.
But country living needn't mean you're out of touch.
"When we did the renovations on the house, we actually wired in Internet ports in each room, but they weren't high speed or wireless," Slade said.
The Slades recently upgraded again to include high-speed Internet and wireless access in each room.
"You've got to keep up with the times to some degree," she said.
Some bed and breakfasts, like Charlotte's House even include a pool during the summertime, meaning guests really aren't trading in much in exchange for a quaint room in a relaxing country setting.
[ Back To Top ]
978.952.6888 91 Powers Road, Westford MA 01886 samfitchhouse@aol.com Innkeeper Lynne Smithwood