Rhinebeck Hotel, postmarked 1905
More pictures as you scroll down, but just to quickly set the record straight...
A lot of what you think you know about the Beekman Arms is probably incorrect. (If you read the current “history” on the BA website, you’ll definitely be incorrect.) I’ve come to conclude, after an extensive amount of research, that generations of past owners/landlords have taken many, many liberties “overselling” its historical relevance. The fabled story was/is just better for business, no matter how inaccurate it proves out to be. (The full story, as best as it can be described relying on the factual record, is in my book.)
A few past owners/landlords went especially far in procuring old artifacts to make the hotel look and seem ancient. Halleck Welles was one of them, placing ads in papers back in 1907 looking for antique & colonial décor. He also penned a booklet with very “colorful” historical anecdotes that didn’t help the historical record much. Another former owner, Lewis Winne, did anything he could to drum up business in the 1930/40’s. He wasn’t shy in saying “let’s make money on the oldest claim” (and back then the claim was oldest hotel and not inn). The 1700 establishment date in some of the cards below is just flat-out intentional dishonest marketing (it’s not rounding or circa, it’s just too far off). The 1905 postmarked card above, stating established 1782, is even different than the same card below, stating 1732. It’s just 100% made up (and there is no significance in the historical record for either date). The 1917 name change to something sounding a bit more colonial – The Beekman Arms – reflects some of this as well. For over 100 years, the Beekman Arms was historically, and very simply, called the Rhinebeck Hotel. When the bicentennial came in 1976, it was only natural to claim the BA as a historic structure and play that up with canons, fife and drum, and Betsy Ross flags. (Which ironically, as misplaced as that was, I loved it as a kid and it no doubt got me interested in Early American History.) It was never even called an “inn” until the mid-1980’s. Chuck LaForge, owner at the time, recalls that’s about when he made the name change.
Though it’s not “America’s oldest inn” as its current sign proclaims, it is a magnificent and important structure (especially architecturally). It is most likely a pre-revolutionary war stone building, so that’s remarkable in itself. It’s history, too, is special; but not as a prominent tavern coming from colonial/revolutionary war days [there is far more evidence to the contrary], rather, its glory and prominence more likely dates from the era of stage travel. (One map even refers to it as “Jacques Stage House.” The Jacques family owned the business in the early days from 1805 to 1837.)
Rhinebeck Hotel, undated, before 1917
Rhinebeck Hotel, undated, before 1917
Rhinebeck Hotel, 1913 (Hub Garage est. 1910)
Rhinebeck Hotel, undated, before 1917, colorized
Now the Beekman Arms (Hotel), post renovation 1917
Time-labeled formal cards like above came out in 1917, 1919, 1927, 1930, and then they were issued without a date. They seem to have been used at least through the 1950’s. The coat of arms is the Beekman family crest (the gray area is a light blue). In the old days, they called taverns by the sign outside (or the sign followed the name), like “The Three Tun’s,” or “The Queen’s Head.” In this case, the sign outside was the coat-of-arms of the Beekman family, so that’s where you get “Beekman[‘s Coat-of-] Arms.” (That was the idea in 1917. (So it has nothing to do with ‘arms as in a weapon or to take arms.))
Beekman Arms, 1918
Beekman Arms, 1920
Beekman Arms, postmarked 1923
Beekman Arms, 1973
Beekman Arms, labeled as 1955
You can see the new post office (1939) and just beyond it, the blue building which was Pierre Cookingham’s hardware store. It stood there at least until 1944.
Bicentennial Era cards, 1974-1976
Postcard of bar above has a postmark of August 1960, so it’s looked this way for quite a long time. (It is not colonial period or even close to original. A lot of this look started post-prohibition (1933) when a bar area was needed again, then Chuck LaForge tweaked it quite a bit during his tenure.)
Oldest known picture of the Rhinebeck Hotel/BA
This is the oldest photograph known to exist of the Beekman Arms (then the Rhinebeck Hotel). Note at this time the third floor did not exist, but you see the 1810 northern wing. Taken from Halleck Welles’ 1907 pamphlet, Reminiscences of the Oldest Hotel in America. The date given [in another source using the same picture] was 1812, but that can’t be right, as daguerreotype photography didn’t even come about until 1838. The third floor was added in 1865, so this likely shows the structure as it stood between the early 1800’s and the Civil War. My guess is the dormer windows are not colonial period.
Old Lobby
In the older postcards above, you can see horse drawn coaches (likely coming from the river) unloading at the side entrance. The wide door in this 1810 addition seemingly was the main entrance. Back in the 20/30’s, the front desk was in this space, along with a soda fountain (see top of 1st pic). The 3rd pic shows looking to the front of the BA (now that lounge room off to the right of the present-day lobby). This appears to be a rare Tracy Dows era, pre-1917 restoration, i.e. “Rhinebeck Hotel,” photograph. If you look closely at the woodwork, it seems they might have even repurposed the cigar counter to be the front desk (seen again in the first, later, photo). It was spifted up maybe in the 1950’s (4rd pic down, pic courtesy of the BA.). Chuck LaForge mentioned this was the lobby when he bought the building in 1958. The room now is a dark, confined, ugly looking function room with uninspiring reproductions hanging on the wall (2nd pic down, and note the paneling may have come from the old front desk). You wouldn’t even notice of this space today or ever think it was once a bright, welcoming, lobby.
"Car Collection" cards from the 1920's/30's/40's
The above selection is not all-inclusive. There are a few more that just aren’t worth showing. Happy to share with any Beekman Arms-ophiles out there.