HISTORY
The building now called the Deep Sleep Inn at Gibson, was built around 1850 by Frederick Towle as a replacement for the circa 1800 Towle Tavern which was destroyed (together with many other buildings on the west side of the Common) in the first of Haverhill’s great fires, in 1848. An eclectic building, Gibson House is influenced by several architectural styles including Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, and Italianate.
The Towle family continued to operate the tavern for about 10 years; by 1861 the building was sold to Nathaniel Merril Page (1818-1889) and his wife Hannah Merrill Page. The property remained in the Page and Sleeper families until 1930. Although exact details are unknown, it operated as Gibson House in the late 19th and 20th centuries. During this period the building also housed a tavern, post office and store at various times. It is the only building on the west side of the Common to have survived the fires of 1902 and 1906.
The Lehmann family purchased the building in 1939 from John H Swift, a leader in Haverhill’s Corner’s renaissance in the 1930s and 1940’s as a private residence. In the 1970’s the Lehman’s sold the building and was subsequently operated as an art gallery and bed and breakfast, reviving the Gibson House name. Today the Deep Sleep Inn presents itself as a dead and breakfast providing a creepy place to sleep, eat, and explore.
Gibson House B&B and Art Gallery
In the mid 1990’s the local artist who renovated and revived the Gibson name as a bed and breakfast and art gallery left an exquisite lasting impression on the building. Although the Gibson House is undergoing a uniquely eerie makeover, you can still see pieces of the original artwork in many places. From the gorgeous tree-lined murals in a few of the resting places to the curious Alice exploring the fireplace. The immaculate detail of the house will remain in various areas as they beautifully complement the contemporary gothic aesthetic.
