History of the Sugar Hill Inn in the White Mountains

In the 1920s the Richardson family converted their farm house into a county inn and name it Caramat

The Sugar Hill Inn started as a small farmhouse built by the Oakes family in 1789. As one of the early settling families in the Sugar Hill area, they are counted among the score of hearty and independent folks who came into the White Mountains of New Hampshire in search of a better life. This traditional New England house was built of post and beam construction and relied on handsome fireplaces in the principal rooms for heat.

In 1924, when a large addition to the original house was added, it began operation as the Caramat Inn. In the 1950′s three two-room cottages were built in a cluster on a knoll just west of the main building. Some of the area’s most breathtaking views can be seen from these guest rooms and porches. In 1972, the Inn was renamed the Sugar Hill Inn.

In May 2006, entrepreneur Steve Allen purchased the inn and moved with his daughter, Sara, to fulfill his dream of owning an inn. With a strong culinary background, Steve has significantly invested to upgrade the inn with such amenities as an in-ground pool, central air-conditioning, new furnishings and interior decorating.

Owner, Steve Allen, has been writing a book about his experiences at the Sugar Hill Inn and has been posting the chapters as they become available to the inn’s blog.  In these chapters we invite you to journey behind the scenes.

Chapter 1            Introduction

Chapter 2            Becoming an Innkeeper

Chapter 3            Buying the Sugar Hill Inn

Chapter 4            Sugar Hill Inn Design 101

Chapter 5            The Ten Reasons I Love What I Do

Chapter 6            The Money Pit 

Chapter 7            Building the Team

Chapter 8            Checking into the Dream

Chapter 9            Core Values of the Sugar Hill Inn

Chapter 10          Becoming a Restaurateur

Franconia Notch State Park