The Secret Life of Death Podcast

In the final installment of the “Identity” series, we move the story of the first LGBTQ+ bar in Vermont, Andrews Inn, into the present day. Though the bar closed its doors in 1984, its legacy was broad and deep for the community of Bellows Falls, affecting lives in the village today and in ways many of us may not even be aware of.

At the end of 1982, Andrews Inn had been sent reeling from the set-up and raid by authorities and their business struggled in its aftermath. But 1982 was also the year that AIDS broke into the public consciousness, also affecting business. Not much has been said about both topics in the last 40 years, which makes you think about what stories get told and what stories do not - and why that might be.

After the sale of Andrews Inn to gay couple, Thom Herman and Jeremy Youst (1979) went through and some of the fervor of the anti-gay protest march that took place in its wake had died down, life got on in Bellows Falls. The Inn, its owners, staff and patrons had forged a mostly civil and at times, fruitful and supportive relationship with the town. But in 1982 - things began to change.

By 1979, Andrews Inn, now operating as a “gay nightclub” as well as a sit down restaurant and bar was doing well and though locals didn’t always understand and weren’t always happy about the LGBTQ+ crowd it attracted, they were inclined to leave well enough alone. That year, the Moisis family were looking for buyers and found some: Thom Herman and Jeremy Youst, an openly gay couple. Openly gay business owners was a first for this town and it wasn’t clear how people would respond.

In 1973, the Moisis Family of Bellows Falls, VT bought the historic Hotel Windham building in the downtown, cleaned it up, refurbished it and opened a nice, sit down restaurant with the look and feel of the town’s former 19th century glory. But this fine dining experience didn’t seem to fly in this burned out, blue collar old mill town. So the family found a clientele that would be interested in the good food, dancing and socializing they were offering - THE GAYS!!!