1867 Parkview Inn is a boutique and hotel that is likely the oldest operable hotel in Owego, New York. As it states in its name, The 1867 Parkview Inn was built just over 150 years ago. Onsite, there are fourteen guest accommodations available for patrons to stay in, as well as a pub and restaurant located on the first floor. Potential guests will find the property in the middle of town and on the edge of the Susquehanna River. In almost any given direction, an assortment of stores and restaurants line the sides of the streets, with a wide range in both price and variety. The town itself has been around for a long time, and the locals tend to live up to their heritage.
The 1867 Parkview Inn is a three-story building that still contains some of its original brick and mortar from when it was first built. The first floor of the property is where the inn's pub and restaurant can be found, while the second and third floors house all of the rooms obtainable for guests to stay. The hotel has a total of fourteen guest accommodations available for stay. Nine of these are standard guest rooms, while the remaining five are larger and more luxurious suites. Because of this contrast, guests can opt for more extended stays or brief getaways, depending on their preferences.
No matter which room is being spoken about, all of them come with high-speed internet, and a complimentary breakfast is included for all guests as well. The breakfast goes from 8:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. on weekdays and 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Saturdays and Sundays. Lunch and dinner are not included with a reservation, but they can be purchased if those who are staying at The Parkview Inn are interested. These meals are served at the property's very own restaurant, titled the Dugan Restaurant.
The Dugan Restaurant offers a wide variety of meals that appeal to both local tastes and foreign appetites. On the list of entrées that are served for breakfast, visitors will find many different things including, "fluffy buttermilk pancakes, thick french toast, and Parkview Specialty Omelets." They also serve smaller dishes like hashbrowns, toast, eggs, sandwiches, and meats, along with a wide variety of juices and hot drinks.
The town offers a comprehensive arrangement of places to go and noteworthy sights such as Draper Park, which is right across the street from the property and provides a front-row seat to the Susquehanna River. Alternatively, visitors can find many attractions on the brinks of the town as well. Notably, the cluster of long lakes nicknamed "The Finger Lakes" can be located north of the property, less than an hour away by car. Another potential and unique attraction mentioned by the owner is visiting one of the many local farms where farmers will give tours to visitors about their properties and teach about their trade.
The inn itself has a large amount of known history that dates back to the 1800s. There have been many different owners over the 154 years since the hotel was first built. Regardless of this, throughout all of the years and name changes, the property's purpose has remained the same: an inn with a restaurant on the first floor and rooms on the floors above. The goal from the start was to create a home for travelers, and from each generation of innkeepers after the first, it has remained the same.
It's this kind of history that the current owner, Beth, seeks to spark in her patrons. Additionally, she tries to provide the sense of being at home while guests are traveling to and from their essential destinations. One previous guest to the property described the 1867 Parkview Inn as a "Historic edifice with modernized amenities and meticulously maintained."
Along with the culture of the building, there is also the culture of the town. At certain times of the year, the city hosts various local events, a few of these spectacles being horse racing in the summer, a large farmers market that occurs each Sunday, and, most notably by locals and the owner herself, the Strawberry Festival. In fact, the Strawberry Festival is so significant that most of the town closes for two days while they celebrate.
During the festivities, visitors can experience multiple bands playing music, a 5k run, and vendors with food, drinks, and, of course, plenty of strawberries. They even have 'dinosaurs and superheroes' that roam the streets throughout the festival. A large parade takes place sometime over the two days, featuring various bands, dancers, horses, and floats. The event highlights the first responders, firefighters, and emergency workers of the community to support them and recognize their efforts.
As mentioned above, the 1867 Parkview Inn has been in business for well over a century, dating all the way back to 1867. Throughout all of those years, a sizeable portion of its ownership and operations was under the direction of Irish peoples. The very first owners of the hotel were John and Robert Cameron. They invested in the property to have a hotel built but needed to hire a manager to maintain the new building. Shortly thereafter, an Irish Immigrant named Hugh Dugan was hired for the job. Dugan later purchased the hotel from the Cameron brothers and changed its name to The Dugan House.
Many years passed by, and the hotel changed owners and titles several times throughout the 1900s until 2011 when the current owners of the establishment bought the rights to the property. However, after all this time, guests still note the pub on the first floor to pay honorable homage to traditional Irish fare over the years.
Potential future visitors may be interested to know that the 1867 Parkview Inn has become a part of New York State's Haunted History Trail. Rumors have emerged over the years that a supernatural presence resides over the inn. Guests in the past have told stories that denizens who had been to the inn long before can still be seen or heard today. One story tells of a two-year-old girl named Marguerite. Her rocking crib was too close to an open flame, and the toddler perished when it caught fire. Tales from the past say that she will ding the dinner bell to show she is still nearby.
Another story tells of a resident named Floyd Hooker, who bought a winning lottery ticket from the pub on St. Patrick's Day that won him 45 million dollars. There are also rumors that several spirits can be seen sitting at the bar from time to time. Allegedly, three cowboys who are believed to have killed another man in the basement crawl space have been spotted, and the original owner of the hotel, Hugh Dugan. Several historical people in the past have been temporary residents of The Parkview Inn. One among those was John D Rockefeller, the founder of the Standard Oil Company and considered the wealthiest man in modern history.
145 Front Street
Owego, New York 13827
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Beth George
