Overview

The Mulburn Inn was built in Bethlehem, New Hampshire in 1908, during the height of the grand hotel and tourism industry. In 1913, the two wings were added, with additional bedrooms on the second floor. At one time, Bethlehem boasted seven hotels which could easily accommodate 100 or more guests. The architect-builder was the noted Sylvanus D. Morgan, who in addition to building a number of other luxurious homes in the Bethlehem area, was also the architect-builder for the noted Mount Washington Hotel. Designed in the English Tudor style of architecture, the Inn set on three acres of land, and was known as The Ivie Estate or Vining Cottage. Mrs. Ivie was a Woolworth, so the home was better known locally as the Woolworth summer home. The cottage remained as the Woolworth summer residence for many years. During the Depression, the house was renovated, along with many other local residences. This construction kept the residents of Bethlehem employed during the Depression years. Cary Grant and Barbara Hutton spent their honeymoon here. Other society notables were frequent visitors to the estate, including the Rockefeller's, Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe and Thomas Edison. The interior woodwork is a combination of maple, mahogany, oak and ash. It boasts of original stained glass windows, wrap-around porches and many of the original fixtures. Today, many of the elegant summer cottages have been turned into the Inns and Bed and Breakfasts that abound throughout the White Mountain countryside.