Sunday night's Mad Men premiere held a delightful surprise for the three Paul brothers of Essex Connecticut, who are the owners of the Griswold Inn in that town. AMC's hit show, Mad Men, mentioned the Griswold Inn as a 1965 weekend get-away destination.
Betty, one of the show's leading characters, and her new husband, Henry Francis, left for a weekend away and they were headed for the Griswold Inn in Essex Connecticut. Geoffrey Paul and his brothers had no idea their family owned establishment would suddenly become famous - overnight!
The three brothers were completely surprised by this sudden fame of the "Gris", as Geoffry fondly refers to his New England Inn. They had no previous heads-up that the Mad Men story line would include their family establishment as a 1964 destination for the upper class. The mention of the Griswold Inn on the show Mad Men has made the news in the newspapers, magazines and internet articles nationwide.
January Jones plays Betty Draper, now Betty Francis, on the AMC Sunday night hit show. Henry Francis, Betty's new politician husband, is played by Christopher Stanley. The newlyweds were taking a break away from Betty's three small children and Henry's hectic life of politics for a romantic weekend at the Inn. It was November 1964 as they set out for their long drive. They must have had a good time, because they were late getting back and acting like a couple of teenagers on their way in the door.
Frank Sinatra once stayed at the Inn along with many other famous celebrities. The check-in logs through the centuries resembles a "who's who" history book. Even before the era of the Mad Men, people would make the long, slow, and crowded drive down US 1, (Boston Post Rd), from NYC to stay at the Griswold for the weekend. The addition of I-95 shaved hours off the trip.
The Griswold Inn opened it doors in 1776, and as Geoffry says, "it has survived the invasion and occupation by the British in 1814, numerous recessions, a depression and prohibition!. The 234 year old Inn has been owned by five families since its opened. The Paul brothers have owned the "Gris" since 1995.
The Paul brothers all grew up in Essex in the 1960's, ( the decade setting of the Mad Men show) and now own the Griswold, one of New England's oldest Inns. Geoffrey, an investment advisor with UBS Financial Services, Greg, President of CastleRock Entertainment (he has no connection to AMC and no idea of the upcoming 'mention'), and Douglas, a former telecommunications executive, who now manages the Griswold Inn with his wife, Joan.
Some more family trivia: Joan's father, Wally Lawder, was an original 'Mad Man' working on Madison Avenue in the 1960s and he was bringing his young family to Essex on the weekends. He retired to Essex.
In addition to the original Griswold Inn Taproom (which Lucius Beebe called "the most perfect barroom in America"), Betty and her new husband would have enjoyed the Historic Dining rooms. The Griswold Inn also includes 33 guest rooms, a stunning Nouvelle cuisine wine bar and a newly opened store that offers unique items and reproductions from the Griswold Inn's important marine art collection.
The 'Gris' serves lunch and dinner 7 days a week and has entertainment in the Taproom 364 nights a year (they are closed on Christmas Day).
For a Mad Men Weekend out of NYC, the 117 mile drive will take about 2 hours on 95, depending on the traffic. They knew how to live it up in the 1960's, and you can experience the same exciting New England stay at the Griswold Inn. Don't forget they offer entertainment every night of the week, so there is always something going on! The charm is still there from an old New England Inn, but it is updated for today's life style.
Reference: Interview with Geoffry Paul, one of the owners of The Griswold Inn, Essex, Connecticut.
The Griswold Inn
36 Main Street
Essex, CT 06426
Phone: 860.767.1776 For Room and Restaurant Reservations
Comments
Don't know where Ms. Zurko got her facts about I-95, but they're wrong. I attended college in New London from 1962 -64, and I-95 was quite 'up and running' during that period.
According to "The History on Connecticut Roads, parts of I-95 were open in the late 1950's. The year of the Mad Men show is the early 60's. The complete stretch of 95 form NYC to RI was not a complete stretch of road until 1965. There was a 40 mile leg of 95 not posted as 95 until 1965, according to the "History of Connecticut Roads". According to the history, the couple would have needed to access the Boston Post rd about 50 miles for their 117 mile trip into Essex. I was not old enough to drive during this day and age, so I relied on what I researched. Also the stretch was not as we know it today, according to the history, many parts were just a two lane road. Thanks for your comment, it is great to hear from someone with first hand knowledge.
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