Most folks probably pass by the Beech Tree Cottages on Route 1 without much thought to the long history of the business, especially its decades of dedication to the local art scene. Since taking over the business, Elizabeth Talmadge Pelliccio and her family have continued a long tradition of supporting artists at their surprisingly secluded rental cottages, and they will be hosting their second annual Beech Tree Art Fair on June 24.

Old-timers may remember the original site as an Esso gas station and motel and may have caught a glimpse of the small cottages through the trees on the 3-acre site. According to Elizabeth, the site was originally conceived in the 1940s as a seaside retreat when post-war America was buying cars and hitting the road.

Her parents bought the business in the late 1990s and lovingly restored and relaunched it as the Beech Tree Cottages. Since 2001, the family has operated the property, becoming a favorite destination for overnight travelers, as well as a local stop for a cool drink and local art offerings in their gift shop.

“My parents purchased the property in 1997, and my sisters and I all grew up here; this is actually our family home as well,” says Elizabeth. “This is our home and our business, so it’s kind of all-in-one.”

Elizabeth and her husband, Christian, were living in Madison, Wisconsin, when the opportunity to move back to their hometown and help take over the business arose.

“My parents wanted to step away a little bit and hand it off to my older sister and I. So, I’m the person filling my mom’s shoes by doing the reservations, the housekeeping, and handling all of the guest interactions. My older sister, Amanda, handles the purchasing for the shop and is our event coordinator for weddings and functions,” says Elizabeth.

According to Elizabeth, the site was originally operated by the property’s previous owners, Edmund and Christine Joecks, who built and ran the then Seaview Cabins and later Colonial Motel, along with a small service station and ice house called The Little Station from the 1940s to the 1980s.

Elizabeth says her parents, Craig and Linda Talmadge, purchased the distressed property at 1187 Boston Post Road and re-opened the seasonal cabins to guests in the summer of 2001 as the Beech Tree Cottages. Over the years, the Talmadges, along with Elizabeth and her two siblings, lovingly restored and renovated the main house, seven cottage buildings, an old garage, and three-acre grounds by dedication, hard work, and Yankee ingenuity, says Elizabeth.

Elizabeth spent her childhood working at the property and recalls an idyllic life with her siblings running the business and growing up on the grounds.

“Ever since we were 10 or 12, this has been our summer job for me and my sisters. In high school and college, even that far back, we knew that this is what we wanted to do,” says Elizabeth. “It was a great way to grow up.”

Many residents are unaware of the original intention of the cottages, says Elizabeth. The property was specifically built to cater to a burgeoning local art scene that arose after WWII.

The original owners intentionally developed the business to provide artists with a comfortable place to stay while they scoured the shoreline for that perfect vista or to capture the Connecticut shore’s renowned early morning and evening light.

The family has always strived to keep that original artistic support alive and well, including a small gift shop that offers wares from local artists, as well as the Art Fair, which was so successful last year that Elizabeth says the family is looking to make it an annual event.

“The fair developed because it was something my dad always talked about doing for a long time because when my parents first purchased the property, my dad met Christine Joeks, who originally built the cabins back in the ‘30s and early ‘40s. And [from] what she explained to him, we had just assumed that everyone staying here was just going to Hammonasset, or honeymoon cottages which were popular in the ‘40s after World War II. Everyone came to the beach, but what she said was that actually she and her husband built the place because there was an artist’s studio on Signal Hill and there was nowhere for these artists to come and stay and paint the plein air and go and enjoy the beach and the seascapes. So, the primary reason to build the rooms was to welcome arts,” Elizabeth relates.

“It’s an interesting fact most people don’t realize about the cottages. Of course, people were still coming for the beach as well, but there’s always been kind of an art tradition here,” she adds.

According to Elizabeth, the purchase of the property by her father and mother came with a promise to focus on art and artists.

“When my dad purchased it from Christine, she didn’t want to sell it to someone who was going to rip it down or develop it. She wanted it to keep the spirit of what she and her husband originally intended and worked for, and that’s what we have tried to do and why this is a family business. Our hearts are really in it.”

That artistic tradition is now enshrined in the Art Fair the family is now presenting. Local artists working in multiple mediums are thrilled with the Talmadge family’s efforts to curate and mount art shows.

“We have local artists in our shop, and my mother-in-law is also a local artist, so we realized we had this resource of all these artists we had as contacts and threw it out to Laura Prete (also Elizabeth’s mother-in-law) to help curate artists. Laura is a local photographer who has collaborated with us on this and is incredible,” says Elizabeth. “She has been great in helping us find the vendors and artists. We are primarily trying to put that last little check in the box of all the things my dad has been trying to get accomplished. After being here 25 years, we finally said we have to do this show. We have over 20 artists coming for this event, and most are returning from last year. We had such a great time last year, and we can’t wait for this year’s show. The artists really love it too. It’s honestly such a fun thing to do. Who doesn’t want to hang out in the yard and look at art? We want everyone to come out and meet the artists who are inspired by where we live.”

A small art shop and beverage stand are located at the front of the site that offer local artist wares that further instill the family’s commitment to the local art scene.

“We thought the shop was a perfect way to welcome people from town to our property. Because a lot of people just drive by and don’t know what goes on here or that we’re even a hotel. It’s a great way to be welcoming to locals as well as visitors,” says Elizabeth.

Elizabeth reminds locals to stop by and get a cool beverage or ice cream anytime, as the store and gift shop are open to the public from May through November. Walkers and hikers often pop in during their travels on the Greenway Trail, which winds by across Route One, says Elizabeth.

The Beech Tree Art Fair will take place on June 24 at the Beech Tree Cottages, 1187 Boston Post Road, Madison, from 11 a.m. to

4 p.m. It is free and open to the public. For more information, call 203-245-2676.