3567 Main Street
Manchester,
VT
05254
The Equinox Story
A Living Legend, Still Evolving
The Equinox stands as an icon of life in New England over the past two centuries. Steeped in history, The Equinox has been a hotbed for American Revolutionaries, hosted presidents and served guests in one fashion or another since 1769.
REVOLUTIONARY BEGINNINGS
Originally known as the Marsh Tavern, it was here that the local Council of Safety held its first meetings and where Ethan Allen’s younger brother, Ira, proposed confiscating the property of Tories to raise money for the Green Mountain Boys during the American Revolution. Coincidentally, Marsh House was the first property to be expropriated after its owner, William Marsh, declared his allegiance to the British.
Not long after, Thaddeus Munson purchased Marsh Tavern and operated it as Thaddeus Munson’s New Inn. The Inn changed hands multiple times after that, becoming Widow Black’s Inn, Vanderlip’s Hotel, the Taconic and the Orvis Hotel. Owner Martin Vanderlip added fluted columns to the front of the inn in 1839. Those columns still stand today and have become a trademark of The Equinox.
The 200-room Equinox House, predecessor to The Equinox of today, was established in 1853. The north wing of the inn was the original Orvis family homestead, and its fireplace continues to warm our guests in Chop House restaurant.