Running a historic bed and breakfast nestled in the hills of New England is a dream come true for Tracy Hutchins and her partner Jim Hall. At the end of June, the couple became the proprietors of the charming 1764 Colonel Spencer Inn in Campton, New Hampshire. Together they bring their special kind of hospitality, elegant style, and delicious locally sourced breakfasts to their guests, making them feel right at home.

Tracy’s background has given her a unique perspective on running a bed and breakfast. After serving New Hampshire communities (two downtown revitalization organizations, three chambers of commerce), she is very familiar with tourism in New Hampshire and welcoming visitors to the region.

She started as the president of the Hanover Chamber of Commerce in 2017, and when the Hanover and Lebanon Chambers decided to merge, she was brought along to serve as the director of the new organization. The Upper Valley Business Alliance (UVBA) was formed, an involved process because the boards of both chambers wanted to acknowledge the communities they served equally. Merging all the data and members as well as legacy programs while trying to reassure all the members was a considerable amount of work.

When forming UVBA, the two boards discussed creating an organization that focused on economic development and being a liaison between businesses, nonprofits, and local government, as well as being a voice for our region in Concord and Montpelier. Much of Tracy’s time with UVBA was making sure that the Upper Valley was represented, whether it was with the New Hampshire Business and Economic Affairs, Travel & Tourism, or other economic organizations. 

“My job, and I think my greatest accomplishment,” says Tracy, “was to be a connector. Whether it was connecting our local businesses to each other or to government or assistance programs, I was fortunate to work with many partners and hopefully provide the answers and assistance so our businesses could thrive.”

Tracy shares more about her venture into hospitality.

How did your role at the UVBA prepare you for transiting to hospitality?

The UVBA really is the boots-on-the-ground tourism organization for the region. We support so many tourism-related businesses that I have worked closely with over the years. For visitors to the state and this area, we are one of the first stops. My chamber background and especially the UVBA gave me great insight into New Hampshire tourism, its trends, its seasonality, and its challenges.

Did you always want to be an innkeeper or is this a new passion?

Yes, it was at the back of my mind for years; one of those “that would be nice to do one day” kind of things. I met my partner Jim Hall about a year ago, and having a bed and breakfast somehow came up in conversation. He said he’d always wanted to do that too, so he started bringing me listings of inns for sale. At first I thought it was a nice dream and it was fun to see the listings, but I figured we probably would never really do anything. While I was curious and wanted to see some of the listings, I told him, “You know I’m never going to do this.” I loved my job at Upper Valley Business Alliance. I was living close to my father and helping him. I really didn’t take it seriously.

How did this come about?

When Jim showed me the listing for the Colonel Spencer, which he loved, we decided to take a look. It was not that far from where I was living in Orange, New Hampshire. We went to see it with an agent, and we both loved it. We walked out, looked at each other, and said we could see ourselves there.

Even so, I was still a little on the fence, but when we reviewed the financials, they were solid. We read the guest reviews, and they were great. I did a lot of hard thinking. I had gone as far as I could with UVBA, so we decided to take the leap and put in an offer.

All this happened rather quickly, then?

Very. We first saw the inn in March and put in an offer the night before leaving for a tour in Ireland. Not the best idea to manage negotiating a real estate deal from across the Atlantic! We closed on June 30. It was a smooth but complicated process. I owned a house in Orange; Jim owned his in Gilmanton, and we had to sell both houses to buy the inn. The previous owners of the inn were great! They knew we loved the property and were willing to give us the leeway to get all the transactions and multiple steps going.

Why did you decide on the Colonel Spencer Inn?

The special experience for the guests was the one thing that attracted us to the property most of all. The feeling that the prior owners established, and we very much want to continue, is one of true hospitality. Beautiful historical lodgings, an excellent breakfast, a comfortable, casual ambiance that says “make yourself at home”—that’s what drew us in.

With my chamber background, I was looking at it not just as a home but also as a business. It checked all the boxes. Being right on Route 3 just a few miles from Plymouth, close to Waterville Valley skiing, close to Lincoln—businesswise it is in an excellent location. Situated in the center of three seasons of activities, I knew it was a good choice. And there was a proven history of bookings and repeat, satisfied guests.

Can you share a bit of history about the inn?

The Colonel Spencer Inn was built in 1764 and is one of the oldest homes in Campton. It is named for one of its early owners, Colonel Joseph Spencer, who served in the French and Indian Wars and the Revolutionary War. 

Alan and Carolyn Hill of Campton bought the inn at auction in the 1980s. It was empty and derelict. It took them 14 months to fix it up and make it an inn. They added the bathrooms—there was only one in the owners’ quarters and it was basically nonfunctional.

There are many of the early colonial features in the house: wide pine floors, antique fireplaces, and Indian shutters. The house has retained a lot of its character over the years, thanks to good renovations that have maintained its authenticity.

One interesting fact is that the house was also once on an underground railroad. The dining room has a panel next to the fireplace that can be removed to access a space where runaway enslaved people could hide.

You downsized quite a bit. How is it going from a home to innkeepers’ quarters?

It is a challenge to downsize from two houses to 700 square feet owners’ quarters. The inn never really shut down for more than one week for the previous owners to move out and us to transition. We had just five days to move in before the first guests arrived. 

We have added our own personal touches and items to the living room and dining room. Jim is a book collector and has 1,500. We added bookcases to public areas, especially New Hampshire–related books and antique field guides for hikers. Over the years I’ve accumulated so many things and I’ve shared items with my two daughters in St. Louis. But Jim and I are still working on downsizing and have three storage units we are emptying out slowly.

How has the transition from working with hospitality businesses to running your own inn been?

It has been exciting, like drinking from the fire hose. So far it has been quite full and busy. The inn had bookings for months out thanks to the previous owners, many repeat guests. It is not a huge leap to become an owner-operator in the tourism industry after working adjacent for so many years. The biggest difference is that I am doing the breakfasts and managing the inn, as well as doing some consulting. Things have not changed much for Jim, as he has kept his job commuting to Somerville, Massachusetts.

From my chamber background I am very familiar with New Hampshire tourism; busy in the summer and fall, and in winter if there is good skiing. 

What kind of experience do you aim to give your guests?

We want this to be a home away from home and for people to come back and visit us again. From the comfortable, period-appointed rooms to the inviting common areas and our fantastic breakfasts made with local ingredients, we want each guest to have a stay that is memorable. y

Colonel Spencer Inn

3 Colonel Spencer Road

Campton, NH

(603) 536-1755

colonelspencerbb.com