About Us

The Young's Hotel was the house and the barn that Thomas F. Young purchased in 1889 for him and his family. In the afternoon of May 5, 1902, the Great Fire started blazing through downtown New Milford engulfing the stables, the barn (the location of which is now the parking lot behind the building), and their house, which was also known as the New Milford House. The fire destroyed thirty buildings as well as the New Milford House. That same year, as New Milford rebuilt itself, Thomas Young decided to reconstruct the New Milford House but turned it into a three-story hotel and renamed it Young's Hotel. The Young family lived on the second floor in the hotel rooms, and the first floor (street level) would be the restaurant and bar/saloon for the hotel.

After his death in 1935, the Young Family continued to operate the hotel and restaurant until the mid-1940s. Since the 40's the bar in the Young's Hotel has remained and continued to operate, and is now the Iron Rail restaurant. The whole bar and vestibule of the restaurant were transported here, on the train across the street, from New York City during the 1920s during prohibition. At one point the bar was male only and women could only enter through the left door dine at the restaurant on the other side of the wall!

We are proud of the rich history of Young's Hotel and its significance to the town of New Milford, as we look forward to our stewardship of this wonderful property.

- The Koulouris Family