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Stockton Hotel - Sneaky Pete’s Tavern, Inc. 1812-2007
Abel Thompson came to Stockton in 1812 and purchased land including the place where the Hotel stands at the present time. He originally built a log tavern. Later he built a frame building which burned down and part of the foundation of this old building forms part of the foundation of the present Stockton Hotel that stands today.
Later, Abel Thompson sold his tavern. The tavern was subsequently operated as the Crissey House and the Miller House. Samuel M. Crissey owned the property, and Levi Miller evidently purchased the Crissey House and moved the old hotel back and made it into a barn/livery stable. Mr. Miller then erected the current Hotel in 1899. The Hotel had twelve guest rooms, a parlor, a dining room and the kitchen. In the early years a horse-drawn carriage shuttled guests over the hill from Cassadaga. The carriage step seen in the early photographs made loading easier and kept the passengers above the often muddy street. Across the street (to the east) from the Hotel stood several small businesses, including a general story, the post office, ice cream parlor and a barber shop. Time and weather were less kind to those structures. They became dilapidated and had to be taken down and turned into a community park.
Stockton was known in early years as Delanti, and was seriously considered for the county seat. It was a bustling little community with agriculture and forestry products as the major industries.
Through the years the Hotel has become known for its home-made pies and the Friday night fish frys. Our pies as well as many of our desserts are still home-made. We still have the very popular Friday night fish frys and we have added some Chesapeake/Eastern Shore crab dishes.
On the Tavern side, a faux stone veneer and wooden shingled canopy were removed from the front side of the bar to reveal the paneled wood design you see. The back bar was rebuild to incorporate some of the same design elements and the original bar mirror was moved to the dining room. The tin ceiling and carpet were added to help create a warm genteel atmosphere where you can enjoy a beverage and some light conversation.
There have been various successful owners through the years, the most notable being the Akin and the Ames.
Pete & Karen Peden with their daughter, Wednesday Elder, purchased the hotel in late 2006. As local residents, they watched as the former owner closed the operation and the property began to deteriorate.
They toured the property on Labor Day weekend in the midst of the Ralph (Bucky) Philips “manhunt” and made an offer the following week.
No heat and no power took their toll on the unoccupied property. Work began in November on the exterior and interior work followed thru the spring into early summer. The finished hotel has a new floor plan which provides for the new bathrooms and an enlarged tavern area. The dining room has changed only slightly to accommodate the new bathrooms. New exterior and interior finishes will reflect an earlier period tavern décor. The exterior underwent a complete makeover in the winter of 06’ – 07’, restoring window sizes and placements close to the original structure. Other improvements include all new plumbing, mechanical systems, electrical distribution, walk-in coolers and a salk-in freezer.
