Keene Center House

Some Keene History:

Keene Center was probably quite a settlement before any other community had come into existence in the town. In this vicinity the pioneers of 1797 erected their log cabins, and felled the first trees. By the year 1823 David Graves built a hotel on the site of the present Village of Keene Center.  Remarkably, the oldest hotel in the town still serves the public: Monty & Ron Purdy's Elm Tree Inn at the junction of 9N and 73 in the center of Keene was built by David Graves in 1823 and operated as The Graves Hotel. It changed hands frequently and with its history grew out front a huge elm planted by the daughter of the first proprietor. When it succumbed to the elm disease in the 1970's, it was reputedly the largest elm in the Adirondacks. It's huge stump still guards the Inn.

Directly across the street stood the Keene Center House, built, in 1867. Before 1840 Ira Marks, of Elizabethtown, had control of the property. In 1844 Charles Miller kept it, the title still remained in Marks. In 1847 Willard Bell, Stephen Patridge and Uriah D. Mihills bought the premises off Marks. Not long after, however, Marks purchased them back from the three and sold them to Arville E. Blood. Meantime, since Bell & Company had purchased the hotel, Sidney Ford had been the manager. When Arville Blood secured it, she leased it to her brother, Royal Blood. Joseph Downey kept it running while Royal Blood was out. Willard Bell bought it of Arville E. Blood in 1866. He, at the same time, purchased the land that formed the site of the Keene Center House of Weston & Otis, and built a new hotel thereon, the other one being discontinued. He moved into the new house in 1867. Mr. Bell kept this hotel until 1872. Nicanor Miller rented it of him from 1872 to 1877, then Horace Towsier kept it seven months. William Bell returned after Towsier’s time expired and managed the business until 1881. W. F. Weston then purchased the property of Bell, and he and his present partner, J. Henry Otis, who acquired an interest in the business in 1883. The old building was destroyed by fire in 1883.