Wayside Inn Show Guide 2012

12 maintained in an environmentally controlled archive and storage area. Collections include papers related to the four generations of Howes, who operated the inn and tavern from 1716 to 1861, as well as more recent records kept by hostesses who remark on the everyday operation of the business during the second quarter of the 20th century. Longfellow’s Wayside Inn became a literary landmark after a visit by the Cambridge poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1862 and the publication of his acclaimed Tales of a Wayside Inn in 1863. The last Howe innkeeper, Lyman, was the inspiration for one of Longfellow’s most famous poems “The Landlord’s Tale,” more widely known as “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.” The WIHS continues to recognize Longfellow’s influence on its diverse property by way of its continued participation in the National Endowment for the Arts’ literary program “The Big Read,” which was presented in part by the Wayside Inn Historic Site in 2008 and 2010. Building on The Wayside Inn’s role in the surrounding community, this May the his- toric site hosts The Wayside Inn Antiques Show in its second year. A benefit for the Wayside Inn Historic Site, this significant show brings together leading dealers from across the country who spe- cialize in period antiques and fine art.We welcome The Wayside Inn Antiques Show and other similar fundraising endeavors that will ensure the future growth and preservation of one of the most unique cultural landscapes in the greater Boston area.