The Manor Loves Pets
Our pet friendly rooms are located in the Mountain View Wing. At The Manor we do not only welcome your pets, we love them. We offer a number of pet friendly rooms in our Mountain View Wing, amenities and services especially for those traveling with pets. We also offer special treats for you and your pet, including our signature pet bowl.

Special Service at a Special Price
A per night fee of $25 will be assessed to guests traveling with pets. The fee covers the expenses associated with the extra special attention we pay to cleaning and maintaining your room so that it stays fresh for both pets and owners. The Manor may limit the number of pets per room. The Manor takes all necessary measures to ensure the safety and comfort of all hotel guests and pets.

Special Treatment
Special treatment for both pets and their owners begins with a personal note from the general manager with information on hotel pet services, local dog-walking routes, and area pet services like veterinarians, pet shops, groomers, and pet attractions. Amenities include place mats with food and water bowls, toys and treats. When making your reservations, please let us know about your pet, its type, size and name.

Mrs. Bigelow and Friends: A Feline History at Stonehurst
One of the first greetings guests receive when they arrive at Stonehurst is not a 'hello' but a meow and a purr from the Manor's only full time resident, a pure white cat named Mrs. Bigelow. Mrs. Bigelow, like her namesake before her, Helen Merriman Bigelow, is often waiting right at the front door to invite guests in and to lavish them with her feline affection 'in the grand manner'!

The history of white cats at Stonehurst Manor began in 1978, when the Manor building was being restored. One morning while the owners were arriving at work, they noticed a small white cat waiting at the front door. She seemed to have a purpose in mind and when they opened the door to greet her, she came right in. Mrs. Bigelow had found her home. Sick, thin and in dire need of food and care, the cat seemed to know she had come to the right place. The animal lover's at the Manor cared for and pampered her - she received the medical attention she needed and soon had taken her place as the Grand Dame of the house.

Mrs. Bigelow lived at the Manor for 11 years, before passing away of old age. Due to her mysterious arrival at the hotel, no one knew her real age or history. She would, however, be the first of a feline legacy at Stonehurst that continues to this day.

Nearly one year after the passing of Bigelow the First, in the fall of 1989, the owner was again arriving for work early one morning. At first, he did not believe his own eyes - another white cat was sitting right outside the Manor's front door. Mr. Bigelow had arrived!

Just as sickly as Mrs. Bigelow before him, and bearing a striking resemblance to her as well (right down to a nick out of his right ear!), Mr. Bigelow was soon in fine shape. Famous for mysteriously appearing in guest rooms and making himself right at home in the beds of many guests, Mr. Bigelow's popularity among traveler's to North Conway made him an attraction in his own right. Guest's staying at the Manor would treat him to shrimp cocktails! Even traveler's staying at other hotels would make the drive up to Stonehurst just to visit with diminutive gentleman.

After living at the Manor for nearly a decade, Mr. Bigelow developed a heart condition. He passed away in 2001.

After waiting for another white cat to show up for nearly two years, the staff at the Manor began to think of other options. In the summer of 2003, shortly after the Conway Area Humane Society opened its doors, an advertisement appeared in the local paper looking for the perfect home for a pure white cat - the first cat to be rescued by the newly opened shelter. A skinny and somewhat skittish, yet friendly cat, she was not exactly the gracious host that Stonehurst had hoped she would be - but that would soon change!

Figuring maybe the cat had been waylaid by animal control on its way to the Manor, she was adopted a few days later. Found as a stray, Mrs. Bigelow III made herself right at home. It soon seemed like she had lived at the Stonehurst for years. As friendly and outgoing as any of her predecessors, the new Mrs. Bigelow was almost unrecognizable as the skittish, shy and scraggly cat rescued by the Humane Society. She also has become quite the connoisseur of specialty cat foods - which she likes mixed with just a bit of warm water to make delicious gravy.

Now officially part of the Manor staff, Mrs. Bigelow can be found on almost any day relaxing in the Library Lounge by the fire, sleeping on the couch or on any lap that makes itself available to her.

Making a Wish and Helping Others
In Mr. Bigelow's Memory, the Mr. Bigelow Memorial Wish Well is located in Stonehurst's Patio Dining Room. It collects $1,000 annually in coins and small bills that are donated to the Conway Area Humane Society.

The Annual Bountiful Benefit Brunch
The Annual Bountiful Benefit Brunch and Auction, first held in 2002 as a fundraising event for the Conway Area Humane Society (CAHS) has raised over $40,000 for the shelter. Held the first Sunday of March every year, it has been sold out every year.

This popular event has become one of the major fundraising events for the CAHS. Local businesses and individuals contributed auction items used in both a silent and live auction. The Stonehurst staff volunteers their time to work the Brunch and the Manor provides guests a spectacular brunch and wine tasting. Local auctioneer George Cleveland helps kick the event into full swing with the live bidding and plenty of lively banter.

CAHS has been able to assist 1,500 dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and rats (and one very special Mrs. Bigelow) since opening its doors in June 2003. Animals have come from 58 towns in New Hampshire and 18 in Maine. Several have made the trip from other states as well.

Mysterious White Cats at the Manor
While the third floor was being restored and re-wallpapered, one of the rooms was discovered to have wallpaper with white cats! Hidden under several layers of paper and paint, the wallpaper showed little white cats frolicking.

There is no known history of the original Bigelow family having any white cats.