Allen House Victorian Inn ( Amherst )

• Contact
• Website
• Amherst Bed and Breakfasts
• Show more Massachusetts Bed and Breakfasts

Check or add customer reviews

The Amherst Town Common is a short walk from the Allen House Inn. Our Town Common is the heart of the community's spirit, voice and activities. With flowers, green lawns and shade trees, walkways and park benches, the Town Common is host to farmers' markets, fairs, festivals, outdoor movies, concerts and rallies.

"Dozens of bed and breakfast inns fall under the general terms of country-style or Victorian -- a few have good antiques and interesting decor. But inns that are restored with historic precision and attention to every last detail are rare indeed: The Allen House, honored with the Historic Preservation Award in 1991, is one of them." Fodors - America's Best Bed & Breakfasts.

The Allen House, an 1886 stick style Victorian located in Amherst, was built by Lysander H. Allen, a local wire goods manufacturer. The house was also the life-long home of his son, Professor Harry Allen of Amherst College, and of Janet R. Strong who prudently preserved the unique charm and original character of the house. The Allen House Inn is located on three scenic acres across the road from the Emily Dickinson homestead. Until the late nineteenth century, the Allen House property was part of the original Emily Dickinson family farmland.

The Allen House is one of the finest examples of stick style architecture remaining in the world today. The Allen House is designed in the stick style of architecture which was popular from about 1860 to 1890. It was one of several styles of architecture employed during the Victorian era. Architectural critics of the day were stressing honesty in architectural design. That is, they believed that a building should visibly reflect its materials and method of construction. They were reacting against the excesses of the ornate Victorian styles. The more linear geometric stick style is a result of this reform movement. Of course, the actual structure of a stick style is not visible; the stick pattern is purely decorative. However, this pattern was reminiscent of medieval English building traditions in which the actual structural skeleton of the building was visible from the outside.