The picturesque town of Essex sits on the Connecticut River, just inland from the Long Island Sound. You might call it a quintessential New England village, with its streets lined with the preserved houses of old sea captains, independent boutiques, and galleries.

At the heart of the town sits a collection of historic structures, painted in white, known collectively as the Griswold Inn and Tap Room. The establishment survived an 1814 raid by the British, the trials of the Great Depression, and the cultural disruption of Prohibition. Through all of these events, the “Gris” has remained a stalwart of Essex, an emblem of its proud history and determination to carry on.

The best place to start the story of the Gris is in 1801, when the Essex schoolhouse was rolled down Main Street to its current location, about 50 yards from the Connecticut River, and became the Griswold Inn and Tap Room. Little has changed since.

The current proprietors—the sixth family to own the Gris—have preserved the bar's individuality while making sure that it remains a comfortable haunt for locals and visitors alike. The interior hasn’t seen any major renovations, so the flecked brown paint washed over the domed plaster ceiling and the central fireplace that keeps patrons warm are as familiar now as they were to people generations ago.