The restaurant at the Hancock Inn was given an identity of its own on Sept. 15 when a new name and logo were revealed for the historic tavern.
The establishment, which has replenished travelers and community members for more than 200 years, will now be called The Fox Tavern, to be distinguished by the sleek outline of a fox.
Its new name has ties to the man historically credited with building the inn in 1789, Noah Wheeler. Wheeler later passed the inn on to his son-in-law Jedidiah Fox, who renamed it The Fox Tavern.
The current owners of the tavern said an old fox doorknocker still hangs on the front door.
“By returning to The Fox Tavern as the name of our restaurant we hope to amplify its roots within the region and community, and its enduring reliance on the farmers and producers that have supplied its kitchens for so long,” a news release states.
The name change also highlights the tavern’s significance to local community members, who don’t stay at the inn, but often eat there.
“For many people that live nearby, the special pleasure of The Hancock Inn has always been about its restaurant and we believe that distinction is worth making formally,” the release states.