HISTORY OF THE INN

The house was built in 1848 and was fully renovated to become a guest house, opening in 2003. Interestingly, many music teachers have resided here, even before the inn came along. Many a piano and singing lesson has taken place here, so we love that the house has been blessed with the gift of music.

The name Auberge Gladstone honors two prominent local families with a long tradition of customer service.

Auberge comes from the French word for inn. Richard and Margaret Stevens, of French-Canadian ancestry, raised nine children while building and running motels on Cape Cod back in the 1950s, all while Margaret was on crutches from contracting polio. At one point, she was quarantined in an iron lung, and it was during this time she cultivated a beautiful singing voice to help her survive, and later performed in local jazz clubs. Her unique story has been captured by the Smithsonian, as she persevered through many difficulties with faith and a loving strong will.

Another avant-garde gal, Ethel Armstrong, was a small businesswoman back in the 1920s, who opened her own beauty parlor at the age of 17. She was one of the first women in town to drive her own car - a Ford Model A, in which she often escorted her beloved dog in the rumble seat, both with long red hair flying. Called the Gladstone Beauty Parlor, located in the grand Gladstone Hotel in the Dorchester section of Boston, it served the community as a gathering spot for women of the day, staying open late in order to get everyone all dolled up for fancy evenings out.

We like to think that we are keeping the tradition alive, of warmly welcoming travelers to our corner of the world, and helping them connect to the community. We hope that you enjoy exploring Plymouth and the greater Boston area. See our Guest Book page for some comments from some of those we have been honored to host.