A History of Hospitality

The two country Victorian-style houses that make up the Inn have served the Saratoga community well over the years.  The main house was built in the late 19th century by a Georgia lumber mill owner. He selected the spot as the most picturesque in the area due to its elevation and proximity to the springs. On a clear day, Saratoga Lake and the Green Mountains of Vermont were visible from the porch! The property was subsequently sold to Dr. R.H. McCarty in the early 1900's. Dr. McCarty built the second house for his family, and established his practice in the main house. A generous sign of the times upon the center gable proclaimed: "The McCarty Hospital, Free to the Poor Tuesdays and Thursdays."

In 1943, Charles Russell purchased the hospital and opened/operated it as a companion inn for his Hotel Russell in Franklin Square. Named The Washington Inn as a neighborly nod to the nearby Washington Baths (now the National Museum of Dance), the Inn welcomed guests for over forty years under the friendly direction of Charles's daughter and son-in-law, Anne and Joe Bokan. Now in the hands of their son and daughter-in-law, Joe and Kathy Bokan, The Washington Inn continues its family tradition of "Saratoga hospitality at its hilltop best."