“We are thrilled to reunite the Parker House property with the Mill at Simon Pearce,” said Simon Pearce CEO Jay Benson in a recent news release. “The Inn was the home of the Parker family, the original owners of the woolen mill which is now the Simon Pearce flagship location.”

The transacted price for the 10,800-square foot building – verified by Barbara West, a Quechee real estate broker who represented Simon Pearce - is significantly above the assessed value of $786,300 - an amount according to Hartford town records.

The Pearce acquisition brings together two historic properties including the former textile mill operated by 19th-century manufacturer and Vermont lawmaker J.C. Parker and Parker’s adjacent brick resident that was built in 1857.

Plans for the Parker House remain unclear but Simon Pearce indicated that it might become a lodging residence for out-of-town employees when they are in the Upper Valley visiting the company. The House, previously operated as a small inn and restaurant, will remain closed while Pearce determines how best to use the property.

According to Meghan Mahoney, media contact at Simon Pearce, the family will advise the public when a decision has been made. Until then, it will remain unoccupied.

The Parker House was owned and operated by Adam and Alexandria La Noue-Adler for 16 years before selling to the Pearce family. The two-story, Second French Empire-style building with a mansard roof has eight guest rooms outfitted with luxury linens and bedding from Tunbridge home furnishings maker Anichini.

The Adlers, who had previously operated a restaurant and inn in Bethel, ME, before buying it in 2004, currently live in Hartland. At the Parker House, La Noue-Adler was the executive chef and décor designer and Adler, the host, barkeeper and breakfast cook.

La Noue-Adler indicated in a recent email that she and her husband settled on the Parker House because “we knew we could turn it around, and the Upper Valley was an exceptional place to raise our girls”.

“To be frank, the cost of running an Inn and the headwinds from Airbnb and Quechee Lakes fees and rentals made us anticipate that it was only going to become more expensive as well as challenging,” La Noue explained. “We couldn’t compete with a full house that sleeps eight renting for $200 a night. The restaurant was very successful, but the expenses outweighed the return on our own labor.”

Simon Pearce US Inc. headquarters is in Windsor. The firm owns 11 retail locations in Vermont, Maryland, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Online shopping and a corporate gifts department are also available at simonpearce.com