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The History of
Six Chimneys & A Dream
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Could Daniel Pike have imagined, more than 200 years after he built his family home in East Hebron, NH and established Pike’s Tavern, that it would still be receiving guests looking forward to a good meal and respite from the road?

The Early Years

Six Chimneys & A Dream has been welcoming weary, hungry travelers since the the stagecoach first appeared in the area, with the opening of the Mayhew Turnpike in the early 1800's.  Daniel and his wife Sarah farmed, but they also realized the need for an inn and tavern when the stagecoach route was created between Concord and the Connecticut River Valley.

Pike’s Tavern opened around 1799 but was enlarged shortly after the Mayhew Turnpike opened, adding two rooms below and two above.  The need for extra space is not surprising since the Pikes had nine children of their own, let alone space for sleeping guests. After Sarah’s death in 1821, Daniel sold the property to Putnam Spaulding who continued to operate Pike’s Tavern. 

McClure's Tavern

In 1837, David and Emeline McClure bought the property and renamed it McClure’s Tavern. At this time traffic on the turnpike was at its peak, and according to a McClure descendant, the barns on the property (two of which still stand) could stable up to 60 horses.  According to the old tavern records, one could also procure a room (or a rum!) for just 10¢. 

Traffic on the Mayhew Turnpike declined sharply after 1848, when the Franklin & Bristol railroad opened for traffic from Concord to Plymouth.  Although David continued to operate the tavern for some years after (primarily frequented by the locals), he is listed as a farmer in the censuses of 1850, 1860, and 1870. 

The East Hebron Post Office

The stagecoaches also brought mail with them, and McClure’s tavern became a hub for postmasters of nearby Hebron and Groton to come by and exchange mail.  The house officially served as East Hebron’s Post Office during the late 1800’s until sometime in the early 1900’s (note the sign above the door in the picture.)  The house eventually passed on to Justin McClure and his wife Estelle, until Justin's death in 1952. In 1960, Estelle sold the property to the Spencers. 

The Beginning of Six Chimneys

Four years later the Marshalls bought the building, and then in 1970, it was purchased by Peter and Lee Fortescue, who renamed it “Six Chimneys” (it does indeed have six working chimneys) and operated it as a bed and breakfast during the 80’s.  It was turned back into a private home during the 90’s, and stayed that way ... until Juli Pruden discovered it in September 2005 and decided it was the perfect place to realize her long-cherished dream.  Thus was born “Six Chimneys & A Dream,” preserving a 200-year-old Hebron landmark and tradition.

The  building contains such classic antique features as gunstock posts, hand-hewn beams, King’s Pine floorboards, a two-seat privy, log beams with bark still on them, hand-wrought iron nails, and historic 9/6 window sashes.  It is also home to “A Dream Within A Dream,” a gift shop specializing in local crafts and workshops.

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