The Inn at Ormsby Hill shares a direct connection to one of the most famous names in American rail history — the Pullman Company — through the property’s original owner and his law partner’s son, Robert Todd Lincoln.
Edward Isham, Robert Todd Lincoln, and Ormsby Hill
Edward Swift Isham, an influential Chicago attorney, once owned the property he named Ormsby Hill. Isham co-founded the prominent law firm Isham, Lincoln and Beale, which specialized in representing the railroad industry. His law partner was Robert Todd Lincoln — son of President Abraham Lincoln — who went on to serve as president of the Pullman Company from 1897 to 1911, a period when Pullman was the largest manufacturing corporation in the country. Robert Todd Lincoln built the neighboring estate known today as Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, which borders the Inn at Ormsby Hill. The Inn and Hildene also share a decorative detail from that era: the “Indian Tree” china pattern used aboard Pullman cars is displayed both in the Inn’s dining room and at Hildene today.
The Sunbeam: A Restored Pullman Car at Hildene
Guests curious to see this history up close can visit Hildene’s restored Pullman car, known as the Sunbeam. Built in 1888 and reconfigured for private charter service in 1903 during Robert Todd Lincoln’s tenure as Pullman president, the car carried a notable list of passengers over its working life, including President William McKinley and, later, correspondents traveling with Theodore Roosevelt’s 1912 campaign. After decades of restoration, the Sunbeam arrived at Hildene in 2011 and is now on permanent display near the estate’s welcome center — a short trip from the Inn.
How the Pullman Car Changed American Rail Travel
The Pullman car mattered because it transformed rail travel from an uncomfortable necessity into a genuinely comfortable long-distance experience. George Pullman’s original 1857 sleeping car, the Pioneer, introduced fold-down berths and hotel-inspired interiors — the idea that a railcar could function like a room rather than a bench. Over the following decades, Pullman cars introduced steel construction, electric lighting, heating, and eventually air conditioning, setting new standards that influenced train design for a century. Pullman’s legacy extends beyond engineering, too. The company played a major role in U.S. labor history through the Pullman Strike and the organization of Pullman porters, whose 1937 agreement with the company is considered by many historians to be an early milestone of the American civil rights movement.
Plan Your Visit
A stay at the Inn at Ormsby Hill puts you within easy reach of this piece of American history. Combine your visit with a tour of Hildene to see the Sunbeam in person, and read more about the Inn’s own 18th-century roots on our History of the Inn at Ormsby Hill page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the connection between the Inn at Ormsby Hill and Robert Todd Lincoln?
Ormsby Hill was originally owned by Edward Isham, law partner of Robert Todd Lincoln, who later became president of the Pullman Company. Lincoln built the neighboring Hildene estate.
Where can I see a restored Pullman car near Manchester, Vermont?
Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, displays a fully restored 1903 Pullman car called the Sunbeam, located a short distance from the Inn at Ormsby Hill.
Who was president of the Pullman Company?
Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President Abraham Lincoln, served as president of the Pullman Company from 1897 to 1911.
What is the “Indian Tree” china pattern?
It’s a china pattern used aboard historic Pullman cars, and is displayed today both in the Inn at Ormsby Hill’s dining room and at Hildene.
