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LAMBERTVILLE: Landmark’s 200th is reason for celebration

By John Tredrea, Special Writer
   LAMBERTVILLE — Sunday night’s heavy rains notwithstanding, every table in the beautiful dining room of the Lambertville House’s Events and Conference Center was filled with guests.
   What brought them out was a celebration of the Lambertville House’s 200th anniversary.
   Among those on hand was Lambertville Mayor David Del Vecchio, who said: “Historically, the Lambertville House is one of the most important buildings in our town. Along with the Lambertville Station, it’s the face of our city to many people who’ve lived here or visited Lambertville.”
   The guests dined on a special meal prepared by veteran Lambertville chef Jim Hamilton. The roast turkey dinner was made in accordance with a menu used at the Lambertville House many years ago.
   Mary Ellen Mason — who owns the Lambertville House with her husband Edric Mason, and Cindy Del Campo and Nick Del Campo — said: “We’re happy and proud to be caretakers of a welcoming place to people from all over the world. The Lambertville House has been about hospitality at its best.
   ”It’s amazing to own a place that’s celebrating its 200th anniversary and that has never been about anything but hospitality. People used to stop here by stagecoach.
   ”This was a mid-way point for people traveling between New York City and Philadelphia. They would stop here to eat and sleep, then move on. Our thanks to Jim Hamilton for making this happen and preparing a special meal for us tonight.”
   The Masons came on board at the Lambertville House seven years ago. “A lot of renovating had been done by the previous owners,” Ms. Mason said. “We focused on decorating and marketing, on bringing it to the next level.”
   Before a dessert of apple pie with fresh whipped cream, Jeff McVey, of the Lambertville Historical Society, gave a slide slow presentation on the history of the Lambertville House and its community.
   He noted that the Inn got started in Lambertville 33 years before the telegraph came to town, in 1845. Four years after that, Lambertville was incorporated as a municipality.
   ”The hotel register from 1859 to 1867 still exists,” Mr. McVey said. “Hundreds of Union soldiers who fought in the Civil War stayed here.”
   Ulysses S. Grant, the great Union general who went on to serve two terms as President of the United States, stayed at the Lambertville House, as did Andrew Johnson, who was president after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
   In the 1950s, a single room a the Lambertville House went for $4 a night, Mr. McVey said. A double room was $5. In 1963, a soft shell crab dinner was $2.75.
   . “It’s so great that this place has been restored and brought back to life,” Mr. Hamilton said.