Locals claim the crossroads where the inn stands has been a meeting place since before the town existed; travelers have always left small tokens beneath a flat stone on the far side of the yard. Folk say the hare carving above the hearth was whittled from driftwood brought by Marta's husband from the western river and that blessing it keeps travelers from losing their way—whether by superstition or coincidence, most who stop at the Hearth & Hare find safe passage onward.