Williamstown's River Bend B&B Steeped in History
 River Bend Farm is nearly 250 years old. |
Built in 1770 to serve as a home to Benjamin Simonds, his wife and their 10 children, River Bend Farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Simonds was one of the founders of Williamstown and a colonel of the Berkshire militia who led his regiment to victory in the Battle of Bennington during the Revolutionary War.
When the present owners, David and Judy Loomis brought the property in 1977, it was in disrepair, but what most concerned them was that former owners had modernized it. "We wanted to preserve it as it was originally," said Judy Loomis. "It's a gem."
Besides living quarters, there is a tap room in the house, where Simonds and his compatriots met. "They fought to secure the rights we now take for granted," said David Loomis, adding, "Ethan Allan and Benedict Arnold walked on those floors."
A portrait of Simonds in the tap room, and other objects throughout the house, give one the impression that time has stood still. There are black kettles on the hearth and black tricorn hats hang from hooks on a wall in the keeping room. "Guests like to wear the hats when taking snapshots," said Judy.
"Restoring the house was like a treasure hunt!" she exclaimed. "We have boxes of stuff we found, hat pins, marbles, coins."
When linoleum and carpeting was pulled up, original wood floors were revealed; original plaster and lath walls had covered original plaster and lath walls. And while examining wainscoting in the upstairs bathroom, they discovered that the original wood was beneath it.
In addition to major reconstruction, there was much more to do to fulfill the Loomises wishes to restore the house to its original state: anything not representative of the 18th century was removed, including doorknobs and fluorescent lights.
The next step in the restoration that the Loomises wanted to undertake was furnishing the house with antiques, keeping with the period in which the house had been constructed.
"But, we didn't have the money. We were young when we bought the house and didn't realize how much it would cost to restore it," explained Judy.
As it turned out, a Williams College student from Canada rented a room, and his family stayed in the house, too, when they came to town in 1979 to attend his graduation.
The day the family was to return to Canada, the father asked Judy what he owed for using the rooms.
"Nothing," Judy said. "Your son has paid us enough over the years." Nonetheless, the father gave her $100. "That was the first time I ever saw a $100 bill, and I said to Dave 'That was nice.' " Judy recalled.
It was then that it occurred to the Loomises that they could use the house as a bed and breakfast. Now, there are four guest rooms, the Red Bedroom, the Master Bedroom, the Yellow Bedroom and the Parlor Bedroom.
Among repeat guests are alumni from the class of 1979 who come with their families. Alumni whose parents and grandparents stayed at the house for graduations now come back with their own children. "It's like having friends come to visit," said Judy.
To enlighten guests with the history of the house, the Loomises have placed plaques in each of the rooms, noting an event that occurred there or who had occupied the room in the years it was the Simonds home.
The Williamstown Historical Museum's annual fundraiser, a cabaret and silent auction will be held on Sunday, March 11, at 5 to 8 at the '6 House Pub.
