A BRIEF HISTORY & HOW
THE BULL RUN GOT ITS NAME
How did the Bull Run get its name? We'll start with the colorful version.
During the American Civil War, horse drawn stagecoaches brought news of events from far away locations. Townspeople gathered bits and pieces of information reported by the driver and passengers as the journey progressed. On one such occasion, there was news that in the Battle of Bull Run in Virginia, all was not going well for the North.
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A political argument ensued in our Taproom. In those days, a lusty brawl was great sport for all, and when the scuffling ended, there was no one left standing except the burly bartender.
Just then, a latecomer rushed through the door and breathlessly asked: "What news of the battle?" The bemused bartender is reputed to have replied: "We just fought the Battle of Bull Run right here!"
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Amused by the story, a neighbor took a piece of charcoal from the fireplace, sketched the words "BULL RUN" on a sign board and hung it over the bar. The name caught on with the locals.
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We also understand that colloquially, any small stream that cattle can easily cross is known as a "bull run." That's a plausible, yet less colorful explanation for our name as we are perched on the banks of the Mighty Mulpus Brook, a small tributary of the great Nashua River here in North Central Massachusetts.
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The Bull Run has been a Tavern for centuries and was the first stop on the Boston-to-Albany Stagecoach route in the 1800s. Over the years it has had many names, including Farnsworth Hall, Mulpus House, Morse's Tavern & The Stagecoach Inn. In 1946 when our family of Innkeepers purchased the Inn, we kept the name Bull Run and set about converting the small bedrooms upstairs into private dining spaces. Feel free to ask for a tour of our historic building on your visit!
To view a bedroom turned dining room, CLICK HERE
To read more, click: About Us.