One hotel in Washington County has helped travelers since the time of the Civil War.

The historic Afton House Inn sits along the St. Croix River. Dan Jarvis now owns the hotel and restaurant after his parents bought it nearly 50 years ago.

“I think we mean a lot to this area,” Jarvis said.  

The hotel started after the Civil War ended, opening in 1867 as the Cushing Hotel. In 1907, Mary Pennington purchased the property.

“There’s a variety of workers back then,” Jarvis said. “It was horse buggy and carriage.”

The Afton House Inn is the oldest operating hotel in Minnesota. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.