Classic Chronicle: Mary Richardson and Peter Mehegan explore unique New England stays

Classic Chronicle: Boston B&Bs, spider web art and vintage radio in 1997 Mary Richardson tours Boston's Harborside Bed & Breakfast while Peter Mehegan discovers spider web art and a nostalgic New Hampshire inn Editorial Standards ⓘ Mary Richardson and Peter Mehegan wrap up their friendly city-versus-country rivalry in this 1997 episode of Classic Chronicle by exploring distinctive places to stay and unexpected works of art across New England. Richardson begins in Boston with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Boston Ballet's South End headquarters before visiting the newly opened Harborside Bed & Breakfast on State Street. Co-owner Mark Hagopian says the former molasses factory was transformed into a 54-room inn designed to offer visitors a more affordable downtown stay, complete with complimentary breakfast and local phone calls. Advertisement Meanwhile, Mehegan heads to Williamstown, Vermont, where town tax assessor Willie Knight has turned preserved spider webs into artwork inspired by the patterns he saw in morning fog. Knight says he sprays and mounts the delicate webs, selling them through mail order while maintaining his day job. The country tour concludes at the Inn at Maplewood Farm in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, where owners James and Laura Simoes have filled their bed-and-breakfast with working antique radios and a low-power station that plays classic radio programs exclusively for guests.