Longfellow's Wayside Inn - "Tales of a Wayside Inn" - Sudbury, MA
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NorStar
N 42° 21.428 W 071° 28.149
19T E 296652 N 4692382
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used this inn, at the time known as the Red Horse Tavern, in his fictional book, "Tales of a Wayside Inn" as a place where people gathered to relate stories.
Waymark Code: WMBKD8
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 05/29/2011
Views: 4
In Sudbury, on Wayside Inn Road near U.S. 20, is Longfellow's Wayside Inn. This place was used by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow as the setting for his characters to gather and exchange stories, which are the poems in the book.
At the time, the inn was known as the Red Horse Tavern. Longfellow had visited the area in 1862 with his publisher but found the inn closed at the time. The ride was suggested by his publisher after the tragic death of Longfellow's wife. Soon afterward, Longfellow started writing poems for the book. Included in the collection is the "Landlord's Tale" otherwise known as "The Midnight Ride of Paule Revere," which was previously published. It was published in 1863 and it was well received and went through several printings.
The inn itself was resurrected after publishing and ran as "Longfellow's Wayside Inn." Henry Ford purchased the building in the 1920s and pulled together a collection of buildings around the inn. Today, it is run independently. It is a pretty busy place and may have been expanded compared to the time Longfellow would have known the tavern. So, the intimacy might have suffered some, but the place is a good place to eat - but you may want to call and reserve a time, first.
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