The Comstock family was instrumental in advancing the music of the nation. For it was Samuel Comstock who in 1847 founded the S. M. Comstock Company —

Above top: A picture of the original Comstock house circa 1900, now The Copper Beech Inn. Above bottom: Ivory factory workers posing on the factory front steps. Right top: Ivoryton town center, circa 1910. Right bottom: Advertisement showing man sitting on 20,000 billiard balls.

a chief importer of ivory and manufacturer of piano keys. As the company grew, so too did a town. Hence the name Ivoryton.

Within the lone tree for which it was named lies the history of Ivoryton. Listen closely to the whisper of its leaves and hear its tale unfold.

When son Archibald inherited the business, Comstock was manufacturing not only piano keys but also billiard balls, dominoes and combs. It was Archibald, in 1890 who built this estate home, now The Copper Beech Inn.

The Lower Connecticut River Valley is a "Last Great Place" — one of only 40 in the Western Hemisphere so designated by The Nature Conservancy. It is a wonderful place to explore quiet New England countryside, small museums and antique shops. The quaint nearby villages of Essex, Old Lyme and Chester are among the most charming in Connecticut.

Ian and Barbara Phillips purchased the inn in April 2002, and have undertaken a dramatic renovation restoring this grand estate to its former glory.