Story
Rich History
The North Hero House was founded in 1891 by James H. Dodds, the descendant of a Scottish family which settled in North Hero in the early 1800’s. The Inn consisted of a newly constructed building which was considered a modern marvel at the time as it housed the first flush toilet on North Hero Island. In those days most guests arrived by steamship at the Inn’s own pier, still in existence in front of the Inn. It was typical for guests to stay 1 month paying rates of $2.00 per day or $10 per week, which included three meals a day.
The Inn has been in continuous operation since 1891 and was held in the Dodds family until 1969. At that time it was sold to Dr. Roger and Caroline Sorg, a dentist from New Jersey who often hosted his New Jersey patients as guests. The Sorgs owned the inn until 1985 when it was sold to another couple from New Jersey. The Inn was owned and operated by Walter Blasberg, a longtime summer resident of the Champlain Islands, until late fall of 2022 when it was purchased by lifelong Vermont residents Doug Nedde and Heidi Tappan.
Today the Inn consists of 3 guest houses in addition to the Main Inn built in 1891. Cove House, built in 1811, is the oldest and was previously a private residence. The Homestead was built in 1834 by the Dodds family and at one time held the telephone office for New England Bell Telephone Company. Southwind, built in 1955, is the newest building and was constructed on the foundation of the old Wadsworth store which was built in 1812. In the late 1800’s it became the Catholic Church which was moved to its current location just south of the village in 1949.
Famous guests who have visited or stayed at the North Hero House include Paul Newman and Joann Woodward, Robert Redford, Uma Thurman, Ethan Hawke and Steven Forbes, to name a few.
Pull up a chair
Book a table
Stay awhile