Lisbon Hotel

Lisbon Hotel. Upscale Accommodations Along the Frederick Turnpike. , Caleb Pancoast built his family home here around 1805. Once the Frederick Turnpike came through in 1808, he platted out a town with ¼-acre lots. Connecting Baltimore and Frederick, the turnpike ushered in a new era of westward expansion., Understanding the need for travelers to stop and rest, Pancoast built a two-story brick building here around 1814. The Lisbon Hotel was considered an upscale establishment. By 1825, the new owner, Beale Gaither, doubled the size of the hotel by adding a two-story wooden addition. The building continued to serve as a hotel until around 1867, when it became a family home. It was later used by both blacksmiths and wheelwrights as a dwelling and a mechanical shop to aid travelers along the road. The Lisbon Hotel finished its history as a general store in the first half of the 20^th century., [Sidebars:] , A Date With A Ring To It… , Historians have puzzled over the exact construction dates of the Lisbon Hotel. Dendrochronology, the science used to study tree ring patterns and date the felling date of trees, was used to solve this mystery. Wooden cores, the diameter of a pencil, were removed from the beams and joists of the buildings. The dendrochronologist determined that the two-story brick section was built around 1814, while the wooden addition was built around 1825. (Photo courtesy of the National Science Foundation), What's the Dish on the Lisbon Hotel? , While digging behind the hotel, Maryland Department of Transportation archaeologists recovered fragments of plates and platters used to serve meals to guests staying at the Lisbon Hotel. The dishes were decorated with exotic scenes and came in many different colors., [Captions:] , 1878 map showing the gridded layout of the town of Lisbon along Frederick Turnpike., This photo shows the Lisbon Hotel around 1930, when it was a general store run by Molly Poole. According to local residents, Miss Molly's candy was the best in town, loved by children and adults alike.