''We were tired of the corporate life and wanted a change from the city," Lynn said. ''We would have liked to make the change in about five years, but this property was on the market and we have always really loved it."
The big white structure, with its brick chimneys forming a distinctive roofline, sits back from the road on a broad expanse of grass and old trees in Old Bennington's historic district. It stands on the foundation of a Federal-era home destroyed by fire in 1910. (Three photographs in the entry hall capture the conflagration.)
In addition to a full-service bar, dining room, and sunroom on the main floor, the gracious old building with winding staircase also contains nine guest rooms, with two more in the ice house and carriage house behind the main building.
Room 5 is tucked under the third-floor eaves. But the huge and airy space is hardly a garret. It is about 20 feet square, with a white iron queen bed flanked by wicker night tables and brass reading lamps. Two couches face each other in front of a gas-burning fireplace. Alas, it was too hot to enjoy it; instead, we kept the ceiling fan spinning and resorted to the in-window air conditioner when the humidity built up. Beige-and-white-striped wallpaper was interrupted by an exuberant chair-rail border of lush roses, and the rose theme continued in the upholstery fabric and the bed's patchwork quilt. The bathroom had a vanity sink and double whirlpool tub; a showerhead was mounted at one end of the tub.
From the inn, it's a short walk to The Old First Church, where rows of antique tombstones recall more than two centuries of inhabitants and Robert Frost and his family lie beneath a simple marble slab. It's a longer, uphill walk to the Bennington Monument.
In the downtown commercial center, a little over a mile away, we caught a free concert in the park and perused the full-size painted moose scattered along the streets. They're on display through Oct. 22; the 45 creatures will be auctioned off at an Oct. 29 gala (www.benningtonmoosefest.com).
