Historic Owego, New York Inn Continuing Legacy With Brand-New Owners
What do the Shangri-La Speedway, the Strawberry Festival, and the ghostly hitchhiker at Devil's Elbow Hill have in common? They are all part of Owego's history. If I had to describe Owego in one word it would be: Historic.
Another historical place in Owego is the Belva Lockwood Inn. In 1815, Charles Pumpelly built a home at 249 Front Street and moved away in 1841. The home was turned into a boarding and day school for girls called "The Owego Female Seminary."
Belva Lockwood bought the property in 1863 and was the Principal of the Seminary until 1865 when she sold the home and moved to Washington D.C. Lockwood was not your ordinary woman, in fact, she was a groundbreaker.
She was the first woman admitted to the Bar and the first woman to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court. She even ran for President of the United States twice (1884 & 1888). I would say that this puts her on the map as "historical."
After Lockwood left her home, it was partially dismantled, moved, and used as a carriage house. It has changed hands and used for different purposes since then. The house was even featured on HGTV's "House Hunters" in 2018.
Belva Lockwood Inn's New Owners
So what's happening with Belva Lockwood Inn now? Say hello and welcome to its newest owners, Matt and Brie Woods from Annapolis, MD. They recently moved to the area and fell in love with the inn and the town.
Brie was inspired by Belva Lockwood and her inspirational story. They knew after a few visits that this was where they belonged and bought the place from the previous owners, Julie and Ike.
I think more of us need to learn about Belva Lockwood and the impact that she's made for women and our area. The Woods want to honor her and share her story and we can't wait to see what happens next.
I know one thing, if it turns out that the place is haunted, I'll have to bring my daughter, Tara there for a visit. Even if it's not, it sounds like it's a place worth checking out anyway.