The Wallingford Victorian Inn sits on the corner of Main Street and Curtis Avenue.
By Sophia Liao ’25
On the corner of Main Street and Curtis Avenue sits the historic Wallingford Victorian Inn, which is soon to become Choate’s newest addition to campus — Inn at Choate Rosemary Hall. In 2021, Choate purchased the Wallingford Victorian Inn. Since then, the School has been renovating it into accommodations and an event space for Choate families and guests.
The space was initially a private home built as a wedding present to Georgianna Hull and Charles Tibbits from Ms. Hull’s parents Gurdon W. Hull and Elizabeth Simpson Hull. Later, it housed various businesses and doctors’ offices before it was converted into the Wallingford Victorian Inn.
Complete with five elegant suites and an accommodating morning breakfast, the Wallingford Victorian Inn welcomed guests looking for somewhere quiet and homey to stay. In 2021, the property was put up for sale and officially purchased by Choate.
When Choate bought the inn, they intended for it to resemble the function and space of the Sally Hart Lodge and Alumni Center that sits at the four-way intersection between Christian Street and North Elm Street — a central location on campus. The Sally Hart Lodge houses seven guest rooms for guest speakers, alumni, parents of current or former students, prospective students and families, and summer program families.
However, with over 10,000 visitors that come to campus annually for events like Commencement, Family Weekend, Alumni Reunions, and Opening Days, “seven rooms doesn’t really offer that much flexibility,” Chief Communications Officer Ms. Alison Cady said. With the “extraordinary uptick in interest in the School over the years,” according to Ms. Cady, the School was quick to take up the opportunity to buy and renovate the inn. “It’s helpful to have some level of flexibility or elasticity in terms of accommodation,” Head of Student and Academic Life Ms. Jenny Elliott said.
While the added guest rooms may not suffice for the large demand that comes with big weekends, “we just feel like it’d be really nice to be able to offer options for people on campus,” Ms. Cady said.
Mirroring Sally Hart Lodge, the new inn will also have seven guest rooms with breakfast included. All of the infrastructure will be made electric to eliminate the use of fossil fuels, natural gas, and heating oil. Additionally, the new inn will incorporate features to make it more accessible to people with disabilities, such as an elevator in the back.
While the location of the new inn is less central to Choate’s campus than that of the Sally Hart Lodge, it is in close proximity to downtown Wallingford, which will allow guests to explore the town. “It’s a really nice way to get a feel for the campus,” Ms. Cady said. “If you’re an alum[nus] and you want to come back and visit, this is a really nice way to fully immerse yourself during your visit.”
In the spirit of inheriting the historic building, the School is renovating the inn with architectural charm and historical elements in mind. A Victorian touch will be implemented in honor of the inn’s long history since its founding.
However, “it will not be decorated in Victorian style as ornately as would be appropriate for that period,” Ms. Cady said. The inn will be cozy and modern like the Sally Hart Lodge, but with a bit of Victorian flair to it.
According to Ms. Cady, the inn will be open to guests after spring break concludes.
