The Look

The small mill erected by Samuel Lewis in 1768 in the Somerset Hills fed George Washington’s Continental Army during the bitter winter of 1779 and laid the tracks for the Olde Mill Inn’s home-style hospitality and early American style. A roaring fire welcomes guests in the smallish lobby, which is done up in colonial manor decor with cherrywood-paneled walls. There are public spaces on the various landings of the somewhat confusing multilevel building; a paneled library is laden with classic tomes and period bric-a-brac, while the walls of the formal piano lounge are hung with portraits and a heavy dose of horse-centric works. Breakfast is served daily in the sunny conservatory, which has picture windows that look out over a courtyard.

Bed and Bath

All 102 guestrooms and suites have a homey vibe that is comfortable but not necessarily for those with more modern tastes. The palette leans toward forest green, maroon and rose, and there are floral patterned drapery, brass fixtures and wood furnishings. The bathrooms have been updated and feature smallish tub-shower combos and Gilchrist & Soames toiletries. The inn may stake its reputation on its colonial-era charms, but all the mod cons required by today’s road warriors are readily available, including flat-screen TVs, Keurig coffeemakers, free WiFi and big desks with plenty of power outlets.

Beyond

The original storehouse for the mill that fed the Continental Army is still keeping bellies full and spirits high in its latest incarnation as the Grain House restaurant. Sidle up to the bar in the Coppertop Pub for a pint of Coppertop Ale, brewed for the restaurant by New Jersey’s own Climax Brewing Company, or set up camp at a table by a fire in a centuries-old stone fireplace. Hearty fare includes classics like a rich French onion soup, Coppertop Ale–battered fish and chips, and slow-roasted meatloaf wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon.

In the Area

This neck of New Jersey was a linchpin of colonial America’s economy and an important base for the Continental Army. Morristown National Historical Park is composed of four areas at which colonial history and the Revolutionary War are memorialized for history buffs. George Washington and his army spent a frigid winter at Jockey Hollow, and today you can go for a hike and tour the soldiers’ barracks. Not far from there, the New Jersey Brigade Encampment Area is the site where New Jersey soldiers enlisted in the Continental Army and later camped. The park is also home to Washington’s headquarters and the Ford Museum, where the Revolutionary War is brought back to life.