Hawk's Inn
Imagine
yourself traveling on the Territorial Road about 150 year ago. You have
ridden for miles along bumpy, perhaps muddy dirt roads. You are tired,
dusty, hungry - and then arrive at Hawk's Inn, "the best kept hotel in the
Territory."
Built in 1846, two years before Wisconsin became a state, Hawk's Inn has been renovated and refurbished as a historic site. In its heyday, the Inn was a colorful stagecoach stop, as well as the center of social and political life in the frontier village of Delafield. It even has its own dance hall.
Described by historians as "an unsurpassed example of an early stagecoach stop," Hawks' Inn was restored and furnished by its own historical society. The beautiful paneled wainscoting, random-width oak floors and the main stairway with its cherry banister were refurbished. The 1863 inventory for the Hawk's estate is used as a guide to authenticity. Only furnishings from the mid-1800's are selected.
Demonstrations and special evens, such as a Garden Tour in June, and Antique Market Place in July at Delafield Days, and Christmas at the Inn in December are some of the activities that take place. The Inn is open for timed guides providing historical background on Saturdays, May through October form 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Group tours are available by appointment. A nominal fee is charged fro groups. For more information, please call 262-646-4794 or visit www.hawksinn.org
A newly completed Visitors Center, adjacent to Hawks Inn, contains a multi-purpose room for seminars, meetings, educational displays and video presentations. The Visitors Center houses a gift shop and galley for group catering.