Hathaway's of Stratford

ANNOUNCEMENTS:  The Great North Woods and the area in general has lots to offer summer travelers.  There's hiking, biking, boating, swimming, fishing, or just hanging out and having a BBQ.  The last two weeks of  August  are still open, but you might have to act fast.

     We get a lot of inquiries for Weddings and now have a brochure available with pricing and options.  Call or e-mail and we will send one out to you.  Your special day will be private and tastefully done.

     Some fall dates have also been booked already.  There's nothing like New England  for the fall foliage.  Come on up when the weather gets cool and the leaves practically burst with color.  It's really gorgeous up here!

     Our home would be an awesome backdrop for your Halloween costume party.  Have a great time in our Victorian "haunted house" all creeped out for you! E-mail us for details.

    If your house gets too crowded for Thanksgiving, consider the 23 rooms we have up here. Remember, we can sleep 20!

     Celebrate an old fashioned Christmas in our beautifully decorated home. There's nothing like having family all together in one place or the holidays, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

     Have a happy and safe New Year's Eve party that will be a blast, and the best part is no one has to drive home after midnight!

     We are in between a few major ski resorts like Bretton Woods and Attitash in NH and Burke in VT. Ski the day away and then relax in our beautiful and accommodating home. Stratford is also known for its miles of well maintained snowmobile trails. Although we are not on a trail at the moment (still working on changing that), we are within one mile of the nearest entrance.

     We've become a great place to have  that special Birthday party or Anniversary!  We can even do baby or bridal showers. Can be in house (small) or outdoors (tented)Catering options available.

      Church group retreats are now finding out just how peaceful and accommodating our house can be.  Enjoy the solitude for personal and spiritual enlightenment, and have some fun as well.  

     We're also on www.facebook.com . Come visit us there for more photos.  Look for Hathaway's of Stratford.

     Please note that we are not affilated with any brokers or agents and only do the bookings ourselves.  If you are contacted by someone who says they represent us, please bring it to our attention, and do not negotiate with them.

     In researching our property address, you may see some lingering "for sale"  listings on our property. Please note that we are NO LONGER on the market and are in this for the long haul. Thank you.

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Here's how it all began...

     Back in March of 2006, John and Laurie Hathaway embarked on a rather ambitious project:  renovate a dilapidated and neglected Queen Anne Victorian home in Stratford, New Hampshire, that was all but left for dead.  Aside from the lack of a porch roof, broken windows, peeling paint, 23 gutted rooms, antiquated electrical, plumbing, and heating systems, and a carriage house that was practically begging to fall over, the home was a dream renovation project for John, a contractor by trade (www.hathawayrenovations.com ) with 20+ years in the business.  His wife Laurie, a school teacher, was slightly less enthused, but pulled nails, painted, and helped get finances in order.  The catch:  The couple and their three children live in central New Jersey, about seven hours away.  But over the next 34 months, John would diligently leave NJ at any opportune moment, often at 2:00 am,  in order to reach Stratford by 10:00, and then proceed to work practically non-stop from morning til 11:00 pm or so every day for the duration of the trip. In all, it took 83 trips and almost 300 days of labor to bring this home into the 21st century, while restoring much from its past.  Thankfully, he did receive help with bigger projects from some outstanding local contractors, friends and family.

                                      some "before" shots

   

                                                

     Needless to say, the efforts are well documented as you tour each room during your stay.  Every detail was attended to.  Every system was upgraded, often above code requirements, and then there are features like the in- ceiling speakers and state of the art kitchen that are a testament to the couples' desire to implement all the comforts of your own home in a vacation rental that will exceed your expectations.  Be sure to check out the photo albums in the house that contain hundreds of before, during, and after pictures of the entire renovation, as you sip a freshly brewed cup of coffee from the Keurig station located in the dining room.  It's the little things that count, like comfortable chairs and beds, rooms with mountain views,  a warm fire from one of four fireplaces, and Hathaway's of Stratford has all of this and more.  We sincerely hope you enjoy your stay with us and look forward to many happy returns.

1. Our Business

Our business is providing a clean, comfortable vacation home for your party without us being in the way.  Hathaway's of Stratford is a vacation rental that caters to, but is not limited to large groups that wish to vacation together under one roof.  Each rental includes the use of our state of the art kitchen.  Food is not included in rental rates, although guests are invited to bring their own.  However, we do provide all utensils, plates, glasses, etc. for your convenience.  The kitchen is semi-commercial, but not industrial.  There is a 40" dual fuel range and a gas wall oven, as well as a  full sized fridge and freezer combo unit, dishwasher, and the usual small appliances. The house is yours for the duration of your stay, we do not "pop in" to check on you.  We believe that this adds to the "home away from home" experience for our guests, and that they will feel more comfortable without the owners around.  If however, you prefer the bed and breakfast type of vacation, please let us know, and we will accommodate you as well.