It’s often said that Pennsylvania is a microcosm of all of America — one big city on each end, and three hundred miles of farms, mountains and small towns in between. To look at the exterior of the Hotel Fauchère, in Milford, you’d think you’d found the Platonic form of the rustic Pennsylvania farmhouse. But venture in and you’ll find a boutique hotel that’s a lot more contemporary than you’d expect, defying any concept of rural America as a somehow backwards “flyover country.” The Fauchère is only one of many historic buildings that locals have carefully restored, but as one can tell from the names in Strub’s copies of the Fauchère’s old guest registers-William Tecumseh Sherman, Sarah Bernhardt, Andrew Carnegie, Mae West, Babe Ruth, and Presidents Roosevelt, Roosevelt, and Kennedy-it has played a lively role in Milford’s history.
Just 75 miles from NYC & 125 miles from Philadelphia, Hotel Fauchere is a Relais&Chateaux member. Founded in 1852 by Swiss-born Louis Fauchère, the hotel was run by the Fauchère family for 124 years and earned a legendary history. After a 5-year multi-million dollar historic restoration, reopened to great acclaim in 2006. Features 16 guest rooms, marble bath, Frette linens, Kiehl’s amenities and permanent exhibit of Hudson River School paintings. The rest of the hotel, from the secluded garden courtyard to the Conservatory, continues the best traditions of early Pennsylvanian history. Be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, diners experience the finest in town at the New York-inspired Delmonico Room, where one of the first truly American culinary traditions continues today. In the restaurant, chef Michael Glatz interprets Louis Fauchère’s classic dishes and has added a few creations of his own, among them “sushi pizza,” made with tuna tartare, flying-fish eggs, and a crust of tempura-fried rice.
Downstairs at the Fauchère, the informal Bar Louis has acquired, if not a scene, then a regular gathering of Milfordians and visitors who compare notes on life in Milford.