08/31/2026
It's hard to imagine Stockbridge without The Red Lion Inn, but the Inn we know today almost didn't exist.
On August 31, 1896, a fire broke out in the pastry kitchen. While fires weren’t uncommon at the time, what was inside the Inn certainly was. Aunt Mert had spent years filling the Inn with antiques, china, mirrors, teapots, and furniture from neighboring farms and houses.
As firemen fought the flames, neighbors rushed inside, carrying out whatever they could. In less than two hours, the main building was gone, but lining Main Street was Aunt Mert’s collection, saved piece by piece by the people of Stockbridge.
Less than a year later, a new inn was built with grander parlors, a larger dining room, 22 fireplaces, 80 guest rooms, and a reminder that the Inn has always been more than just a building, it's woven into the heart of the Stockbridge community.
