Presidential one nighters at The Golden Lamb

Nestled just north of Cincinnati is Ohio's oldest operating Inn, the Golden Lamb (see left and below right, click to enlarge). Located in Lebanon, Ohio (map, government), the Golden Lamb has been a continuous operating business since 1803, the same year Ohio entered the Union as the 17th state.

Lebanon has a picturesque downtown and it is easy to wonder how Lebanon came to be so historic. As with much of Ohio, its growth has its roots in transportation.

The Warren County canal and several roads connecting Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus. A major rail line passed within four miles of the city as well. The era of the Stagecoach was perhaps when the Golden Lamb was bustling more than ever.



As Ohio was a the place to be in the mid 1800s, so can you see the famous visitors to the Inn. Walking in the front entrance you are greeted with its famous lodgers . The list includes Presidents Grant, John Quincy Adams, McKinley, Garfield, both Harrisons (William and Benjamin), Van Buren, Hayes, Taft and modern presidents Reagan and George W. Bush. Other notables include Henry Clay, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Charles Dickens. Their web site boasts of Mark Twain, but he didn't make the signage when you walk in the door (see right, click to enlarge). The inn's website offers a virtual tour of each of the famous rooms.

The lobby creaks with history as you can gather waiting to be seated in the restaurant or seek lodgings for the night (see left, click to enlarge). You can spend the night in one of the famous rooms inhabited by the aforementioned guests of honor, but know that it is a six month or longer waiting list for a room.

The top floor has several rooms that have been sealed off and offer a museum of some of the various furniture that have been used in the rooms (see right, click to enlarge). Each room has a look of a different era. What makes the building unique is that it is not a standard house or building. Each hallway is unique and the twists and turns of the building give it character. Even the placement of restrooms doesn't fit the typical layout.

While Lebanon may have seen its peak as the Victorian age came to a close, the Golden Lamb continues on. It is evident that preservation is a priority here and hopefully there will be future presidents who will dine and lodge under its roof.

- J. ** View follow up blog posting **