About Abbey's Lantern Hill Inn
Abbey’s Lantern Hill Inn is an enchanting woodland retreat in the serene countryside. We invite you to relax in the tranquility of our idyllic location. Just a stone’s throw from downtown Mystic, Connecticut, but worlds apart from its crowds, noise, and traffic.
As you journey here from Mystic, you’ll find yourself captivated by the allure of our scenic country road, passing by picturesque farmland and serene ponds. Lantern Hill, the famous local landmark, heralds your arrival.
Since 1992, Abbey’s Lantern Hill Inn has earned a reputation for excellence in hospitality. The hundreds of 5-star reviews posted about us on TripAdvisor and Google speak to the outstanding experience.
The inn embodies our commitment to sustainability and wellness woven into every aspect of the guest experience. From on-site hiking trails to farm-fresh organic breakfasts made with locally grown ingredients, often from the inn’s gardens, we invite you to rejuvenate yourself amidst the beauty of our surroundings.
Indulge in comfort and relaxation in our thoughtfully appointed guestrooms, some featuring jetted soaking tubs and wood-burning fireplaces. You can step out to your private patio lounge from every guestroom to enjoy the natural beauty surrounding you, cocooned in plush robes and embraced by premium bedding for a restful night’s sleep. During spring, summer, and fall, guests unwind by the flickering flames of the firepit and lose themselves in the enchanting melodies of songbirds from the comfort of the hammocks. Amidst the natural beauty, the stage is set for an unforgettable getaway.
Founding the Inn
Abbey’s Lantern Hill Inn is more than a place to stay—it’s a testament to vision and perseverance. In 1987, Thomas Nicholas acquired 6 acres at the base of Lantern Hill to craft a bespoke residence to sell. His previous work restoring several homes on New London’s historic Starr Street garnered acclaim. What began as a standard project turned into the unexpected. During construction, he and his wife found themselves facing dire financial straits, culminating in her leaving to restart her life. Nicholas was on the verge of abandoning the Lantern Hill project when inspiration struck.
To generate immediate income, he got remodeling work at a bed & breakfast in Mystic and forged a friendship with the owners. Engaging with these industry veterans, Nicholas gained insight into the business of running an inn. With Mystic’s popularity as a tourism destination surging in the wake of the hit movie “Mystic Pizza” and Foxwoods Casino soon to open, he realized he had a chance to turn the tide at Lantern Hill.
Amidst zoning opposition to his project from the town, Nicholas took side jobs to fund his vision. He set about transforming the property into an inn. He incorporated reclaimed flooring, paneling, and doors from previous projects to add warmth, character, and a sense of history that runs through the inn to this day. He officially welcomed his first guests in 1992.
Lantern Hill: A Legandary Local Landmark
Abbey’s Lantern Hill Inn enjoys a magical setting in the valley below a legendary local landmark. It is said that Pequot chiefs used this place to watch for rival tribes and European ships from a place high on the hill called “the Sachem’s seat.” These gleaming white quartz cliffs were used by European sailors to safely navigate into harbor, and so they named it “Lantern Hill.”
Lantern Hill is one of the most picturesque hiking spots in Connecticut. You can begin your hike right from Abbey’s Lantern Hill Inn. The highest point in Southeastern Connecticut, it’s no surprise that the panoramic view from the top of Lantern Hill is well worth the trek. On a clear day, you can see the Mystic River, Fisher’s Island & Long Island, and the surrounding hills. Modern manmade marvels, like the Mashantucket Pequot Museum’s observation tower and the glass spires of Mohegan Sun add perspective.
At about 240 million years old, Lantern Hill’s milky quartz cliffs date back to when dinosaurs roamed the area. Scientists believe the creation of Lantern Hill occurred when the supercontinent, Pangaea, began to separate. What we know as eastern North America and northern Africa pulled apart, gradually forming the Atlantic Ocean. The Lantern Hill Fault emerged during that time, creating the Mystic River tidal basin.
In the 1800s & 1900s, Lantern Hill and neighboring Lantern Hill Pond and Long Pond had famous summer camps. Popular for freshwater fishing, Lantern Hill Pond and Long Pond are home to trout, pickerel, perch, and pumpkinseed. In 1870, David D. Mallory began commercially mining Lantern Hill’s highly pure silica. Lantern Hill quartz was used in the concrete faces of the JFK Presidential Library in Boston, MA. In 1994, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation purchased and reclaimed this spiritually sacred ancestral land.
History In The Woodlands
Before the arrival of Europeans, the Pequot occupied all of southeastern Connecticut as the most powerful tribe in the region. Uncas, chief of the Mohegans, formed an alliance with the local English colonists, which led to a tragic reversal of fortune for the Pequot. In the early hours of June 5, 1637, an alliance of English, Mohegan, and Narragansett attacked and slaughtered hundreds of Pequot in their fortified encampment on the Mystic River. 50 years later, the surviving Pequot were given two reservations in the area’s rockiest, untamed woodlands. 280 acres on the eastern side of Lantern Hill were given to the Eastern Pequot. 2,000 acres on the western side of Lantern Hill were given to the Western Pequot. Abbey’s Lantern Hill Inn is located between these two Pequot nations.
These local woods supplied plentiful native Eastern red cedar, white pine, and Eastern hemlock for the flourishing shipbuilding companies in Mystic and Noank. During the 1700s and 1800s, hundreds of wooden sailboats were built for trade with the West Indies, South America, and Europe. In the 1800s, New London’s whaling industry thrived. Local cedar provided the best wood for building whaleboats. Local Pequot men, who often signed on for whaling voyages out of New London, were renowned for their skill as harpooners.
The property around the inn was part of a patchwork of landholdings owned by the Main family in the late 1800s. William Leeds Main was the largest landowner and wealthiest man in Ledyard at the time. He was also a farmer and raised geese, quite possibly on this very property. The old stone boundary walls along Lantern Hill Road and the woods behind the inn surely mark boundaries for the farm lots that once occupied the property.
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