1905 Port Jefferson LI NY Postcard Smith's / Ardencraig Hotel RPPC

Description: 1905 Port Jefferson, LI NY, Postcard, Smith's Hotel / Ardencraig Hotel, RPPC Real Photo Post Card. Posted July 10, 1905, Stamp Attached.VERY GOOD USED CONDITION. Hometown History: Port Jefferson’s Ardencraig Inn — A popular place for particular people.By Kenneth Brady - May 18, 2021 “Smith’s Hotel was established in 1870 and located in Port Jefferson on the east side of Main Street, a short distance from the waterfront. William R. Thompson began leasing the venerable hotel in 1908 from its longtime proprietor Lizzie Smith before actually buying the establishment in 1910. Besides renaming the hotel the Ardencraig Inn, Thompson made other changes at the premises, adding guest rooms, enlarging the dining room, installing Blau-Gas lighting and introducing sanitary plumbing. More important, Thompson recognized how automobiles were revolutionizing travel, giving people the freedom to explore the open road, and creating a new class of tourists no longer dependent on ships and trains. To tap into this burgeoning market and popularize the Ardencraig, Thompson geared his publicity toward motorists. The inn was featured in travel guides favored by car aficionados such as The American Motorist and The Automobile Blue Book. With the ferry Park City running between Bridgeport and Port Jefferson, the Ardencraig was described in the Connecticut press as being ideally located to host “automobile parties” from New England. A car enthusiast himself, Thompson was a member of the Automobile Club of Port Jefferson, which sponsored both the 1910 and 1911 Hill Climbs on the village’s East Broadway. As a service for the motorists who were registered at the Ardencraig, Thompson had a garage constructed behind the inn. Besides providing accommodations for chauffeurs, the garage was manned day and night. While welcoming motorists to his hotel, Thompson did not neglect tourists who had arrived in Port Jefferson by rail or yacht. Events such as Old Home Week in 1911 brought thousands to the village, numbers of whom stayed at the Ardencraig. Advertised in Port Jefferson’s newspapers as a “popular place for particular people,” the inn was also known among villagers for family gatherings, wedding receptions, card parties and balls. After years of success, the Ardencraig’s run of good luck ended on March 2, 1920, when the inn was destroyed by a fire that purportedly originated with a defective flue. The hotel’s staff and guests, as well as Thompson and his wife, all escaped the burning building.”

Price: 29.99 USD

Location: Port Jefferson Station, New York

End Time: 2025-02-01T15:46:13.000Z

Shipping Cost: 2 USD