A New Inn To Rise From The Ashes Of The Yankee Drover

By Jan Howard

A new inn is expected to rise over the next several months on the site of a building that had served Newtown as an inn and restaurant for more than 130 years.

The site where the new bed and breakfast inn will be constructed by builder Kim Danziger for Jane and John Vouros has been vacant since January 28, 1981, when a raging inferno destroyed a historic and beloved landmark, the Yankee Drover Inn.

While most residents living here at that time remember it as the Yankee Drover, it had several names during its long history on Main Street. Some old-timers in town may remember it as the Parker House, which it was called from about 1930 to 1952. It had held several names throughout its history, including Mansion House, Central House, Grand Central Hotel, and Brown's Hotel.

In 1890, the Grand Central Hotel was the second major hotel on what was then called Newtown Street.

Innkeeping was a flourishing business in Newtown for many years, and the building that was eventually named the Yankee Drover was one of several inns in town.

It had 26 rooms, which included 13 bedrooms and one family room plus six and a half baths. On October 1, 1975, its replacement value on the grand list was listed as $213,000.

It was host to many gala parties and travelers through the years. Many famous people were supposed to have entertained and stayed over at the inn, including many traveling theatrical groups. It had a reputation for hospitality and fine dining.

The building was originally a 1770s residence that was last lived in by Judge Samuel Blackman. After Judge Blackman's death in 1870, it was purchased by Marcus Hawley and his brother-in-law, Henry Sanford, and then extensively rebuilt. In 1930 Edith and William Parker bought it from the Sanford estate.

Its Second Empire style architecture was popular when the building was converted into a hotel in 1871. In 1876, owner Douglas Fairchild named it Central House, and in 1877 its name was changed to Grand Central Hotel. Later, it was purchased by M.J. Houlihan, a bartender in the restaurant and later a state senator. Under his ownership, it was a headquarters for cattle and turkey drovers who auctioned off the animals in the yard.

As Brown's Hotel, it did a thriving business in the 1880s under the stewardship of proprietor George H. Brown and manager F.R.M. Chapman.

Caltaldo Liquigli and his wife Lorraine, as Lor-Al Inc, owned the inn at the time of the fire. William and Nicholas Tamburri, who owned the building 25 years before the Liquiglis took ownership in 1977, were responsible for naming it the Yankee Drover Inn.

Until 1975 the building served as an inn and a restaurant, after which the inn portion was discontinued.

The Tamburries did extensive remodeling and refurbishing at the time they took over the inn in 1952 from Mrs Parker when it was known as the Parker House.

The blaze that destroyed the Yankee Drover began during the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 28, 1981. Approximately 80 firefighters battled the flames for almost five hours before bringing them under control.

At daybreak, residents and passersby gathered, horrified at the destruction of the inn that had served the community for more than a century. It was a total loss.

State and local fire officials declined to speculate on the cause of the fire and walked through the ruins, trying to piece together the cause of the building's demise. Fire Marshal James Cavanaugh said investigation by the state fire marshal would continue through Thursday

Workers from the Connecticut Building Wrecking Company Inc of Bridgeport were called in by the building's owner to knock down hazardous parts of the remaining structure.

Newtown patrolmen Llew Rowe and Mike Brokaw were first on the scene after a passerby spotted smoke behind the Drover and reported it to police, who called in the alarm around 1:20 am. It appeared to Officer Rowe that the fire had begun in the kitchen area in the rear of the western side of the building. There were no visible flames from outside the building.

Volunteers from Newtown Hook and Ladder Company responded within minutes after the alarm sounded. They attempted an interior attack through the front entrance but the men were driven out of the building by the heat.

Crews from Hawleyville, Sandy Hook, and Southbury were among departments that responded. The Newtown Ambulance crew assisted, transporting one firefighter to Danbury Hospital. Allen Burkert, 19, a volunteer with the Sandy Hook department, was treated for smoke inhalation at 2:57 am and released. The Stony Hill rescue unit was also on the scene. Women from the Dodgingtown Ladies Auxiliary provided coffee.

The Newtown Highway Department spread sand on Main and West streets to combat icing conditions on the roads.

None of the surrounding buildings were affected by the blaze. Firefighters were on the scene until 11 am Wednesday morning and spent nearly four hours cleaning up the area and pumping water out of the ruined building.

Hook and Ladder had two-man crews guarding the building through 9 am the next day to protect against vandalism and to watch for smoke.

No one was in the building at the time of the fire. Mr Liquigli was the last to leave the building about 1 am. The Yankee Drover engaged 45 full- and part-time employees.

On February 6, 1981, The Bee reported that the insurance adjusters had sifted through the remains of the inn, and that the loss was estimated at $250,000 for the building and $40,000 for the contents. Plans were still incomplete as to when the remainder of the restaurant would be destroyed.

At that time the owners planned to rebuild the structure as it was before the fire. That never happened.

In May 1981, Mr and Mrs Liquigli offered to sell the 2.25-acre property to the Newtown Congregational Church for $250,000. The Liquiglis' attorney said the owners had not abandoned plans to rebuild the Yankee Drover, but had offered the property for the church's consideration.

Later that month, the Congregational Church made a counteroffer of $225,000 for the property, which was later accepted. The resolution to purchase the property had passed by a clear majority of congregation members. The purchase was contingent on several things, including that the church receive $25,000 from Nicholas Tamburri that he had offered to contribute toward acquisition of the property. Another contingency was that church members and friends would contribute $50,000 within 30 days of acceptance of the offer.

In June 1981 sale contracts were drawn up and sent to the church's building committee from Lor-Al, Inc, formalizing the purchase. The contracts were signed and returned with a ten percent deposit to Lor-Ala's attorney, and a mail campaign was underway soliciting contributions.

The church was said to have no immediate plans for the site. Robert Hall, chairman of the ad hoc church committee, said he saw the purchase as "an option to consolidate the church facility on Main Street."

In the July 31, 1981 Bee, the sale of the 2.25-acre Yankee Drover property led the list of land transfers. In 1985, however, Newtown Congregational Church members voted by more than a two-to-one majority to sell the property for $225,000 to John Vouros and William Reibe.

The church's intention to build a church on the site had changed. Proceeds from the sale were slated toward a $1 million building project that the church members had approved following heated discussion during a marathon three-and-a-half-hour meeting on May 16.

Members of the congregation opposing the sale said the property should be retained until the $1.2 million needed for the building program was ensured. Some of those who favored rebuilding the old sanctuary felt the church was acting prematurely by selling the property. Proponents felt that the sale would start off the building campaign with a substantial sum.

At that time, Jeane Roberts, moderator for the church, said Mr Vouros intended to build a "landmark structure" to become a restaurant and inn on the site.

Now, years after the purchase of the property by Mr Vouros, a new building will rise on the site.

Mr and Mrs Vouros have received approvals for their proposed inn from the Borough Zoning Commission and Borough Historic District Commission. The inn will contain gathering rooms for guests on the first floor and a residential suite plus four guest rooms on the second floor.

Construction of the approximately 5,400-square-foot building is expected to begin this spring and continue for nine months. It has been designed with a potential expansion wing to the rear. The design shows a faux widow’s walk to conceal air conditioning equipment on the roof.

Twenty-three years have passed since the fire that destroyed the historic Yankee Drover. This year a new bed and breakfast inn will continue a tradition that served Newtown for 131 years.