The inn began life as the home of Alice and Andrew Harriman and their family. Harriman, a talented carpenter, built the farmhouse in 1893 along the banks of the Ellis River, and the road leading to the inn bears the family’s name. The classic red barn and ice house also date from this period. Harriman was responsible for building Jackson’s three room schoolhouse and many of the prestigious second homes in the village. When a fire destroyed the original town hall, he built the replacement (now the Historical Society) in 1895.

The home has a long history of hospitality to visitors. After Andrew Harriman’s death, the house was occupied by his daughter, Bertha Magoon and her family. Descendants of the Magoons remember a happy home where relatives visited in the summer. During this time, their home also became a boarding house for local residents and employees of surrounding resorts, inns, and lodges. The farmhouse was passed on to Bertha Magoon’s three daughters and one son. It was then sold to a Manhattan stock broker, who used the farmhouse as a second home for a period of three years.

In 1985, Barry and Barbara Lubao, and their children, Jay and Jennifer, began the transformation of the farmhouse on the river into a six room bed and breakfast, the Ellis River House. The ice house located next to the barn was renovated to a rusticc cottage for two. They built the atrium overlooking the river, which houses the inn’s hot tub, using hemlock cut and milled locally.

One hundred years after its original construction the Harriman’s home was expanded with the addition of the north wing which includes 13 guest rooms (many with jacuzzis and fireplaces), the cozy gameroom and pub, our sunny breakfast room, and lobby. In 2000, Monica and Jim Lee purchased the Inn and enhanced it further. They created the Silver Cascade room with its private balcony and spectacular views of the Ellis River. In 2001, they replaced the original carriage house with a home for the innkeepers and the two newest guest rooms, Pearl and Sparkling Cascades, with gas fireplaces, jacuzzis with windows overlooking the river, and private balconies.

In 2004, Frank Baker and Lyn Norris-Baker purchased the Inn and are continuing the long tradition of warm hospitality begun by the Magoons as well as further enhancing the inn’s amenities. Come visit us for the romance, relaxation, and rejuvenation you deserve.

We are waiting to welcome you!