84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 4, 1991
Joyce Bupp
York Co. Correspondent
DOVER (York Co.) When
Loren Detter began tearing out the
old plaster and lathing of their
summerhouse’s loft, his wife Ail
can was not convinced it was
worth the trouble.
“It was the worst,” she says of
the deteriorating walls, crumbling
window frames and open-air gaps
of the structure.
Painstakingly remodeled, the
summerhouse upper level is now
the “Hideaway,” a honeymoon
suite of sorts at the Delter’s
newly-opened bed and breakfast
on their Dover-area farm.
Exposed beams, textured ceiling,
delicate wallpaper and soft carpet
ing bely the loft’s original state
and pay tribute to this couple’s
vision of sharing with guests their
home of 33 years.
A canopy bed in the Hideaway
has been custom built by Loren to
fit under the loft’s sloping ceil
ings. He spent more hours than he
cares to remember refinishing and
restoring the heavy, original,
wooden door to the enclosed stair
entry and its antique hardware. A
private bath, soft easy chairs and a
view overlooking the farm’s roll
ing meadows offer homey touches
to guests in the cozy loft.
The Hideaway is one of three
private rooms remodeled and
tastefully decorated by Loren and
Ailcan in between crop and cattle
chores on their farm along the
Concwago Creek north of Dover.
Although they have hosted guests
periodically, including a Japanese
exchange student who lived with
the family for a year, their bed and
breakfast at 6631 Old Carlisle
Road “offically” opened on May
1.
Their Victorian and Country
Brass rooms, which share a bath
and dressing area, are named by
Ailean based on the decorative
theme of each. Antiques, stencil
ing and restored pieces, including
Loren’s own infant cnb, add per
sonal touches. Air conditioning,
television, cold running water and
fire safety equipment in each
room offer modem amenities to
the traditional feeling of the large,
century-old farm home.
Layout of the house, with its
attached summerhouse, lends
itself ideally to a bed and breakfast
establishment. A large family
area, complete with fireplace and
brcakfjsl nook, connects the mam
portion of the house with the for
mer summerhouse. Farm tools and
A fbv point of the guest area at i
Herns like the Iron pot Lome holds.
Take A Buggy Ride At Detter’s Farm
collectibles decorate the fireplace,
which is kept burning for guests
comfort and enjoyment Entrances
to the guest rooms open off the
central gathering room, ensuring a
measure of privacy for the Det
ter’s personal living area.
“If our guests enjoy breakfast
outside on warm mornings, I’ll
serve it in the gazebo on the
lawn,” says Ailcan. Her breakfast
specialities include fresh fruits
served on family china and home
made bread baked fresh daily. An
antique table in a secluded comer
is kept stocked with a selection of
beverages and tidbits for evening
snacks. For visitors with musical
inclination, a piano awaits willing
players.
Their interest in people led
them into not only opening their
home to guests but also into a
related sideline speciality of offer
ing carriage rides. The Betters
have three Amish-slylc buggies,
maintained for both their guests
and for local folks looking for a
unique, special-occasion, mode of
travel. A few brides and grooms
have already been delivered to
their receptions in the carriages, a
guaranteed spectator-gathering
event.
“I’ve been around horses all my
life,” notes Loren, who grew up
helping his family to farm wilh
teams. “I was the youngest, so
they gave me the horses to drive;
my brother drove the tractor.”
Two standard-bred driving
horses wait in the exercise lot near
the bams, one of them recently
acquired after being retired from
racing. Calmness in their driving
horses is a top priority, since the
mere sight of the horse and buggy
always draws children.
Their new buggy was custom
designed to their specifications by
the White Horse Carriage Shop.
Beautifully finished with crushed
blue velvet, it features rollup sides
for open-air rides in pleasant
weather, ornately carved instru
ment deck, and a special, side
opening door and steps for the
wide skirts and trains of bridal
gowns.
Loren dresses for the carriage
rides in dark suit and lie with top
hat. He nearly froze, even dressed
with extra layers of clothes, on a
Christmas ride contracted by one
customer. The ride was around
Lake Meade, a 10-mile drive in
itself, plus travel of many more
miles to get there and back.
He also delivered an 81-ycar
old to a surprise, family birthday
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V"'
itter’s Acres
Detter’s Acres Bed and Breakfast Is open for guests looking for a vacation
working farm. A custom-made Amish buggy Is available at the Betters for
guests and special-occasion rides.
party in her honor and thoroughly
enjoyed his part in a recent mar
riage proposal. The client wishing
to propose plotted with Loren for a
carriage ride along the Conewago
Creek, complete with picnic
basket, for his intended. Even the
dreary, rainy, foggy conditions
that set in along the creek that
evening failed to put a damper on
that memorable carriage
excursion.
Recently Lome and Ailean
have been sharing a slide program
on their trip last summer to Japan.
Twelve years ago, the Dcltcrs and
their four children hosted Japan
ese exchange student Masayo
Matsukawa for a year. They have
kept in touch since then and last
May were guests of her and her
family.
“They treated us like royally,”
Ailean says of the memorable vis
it. ‘The people were wonderful.
They’re in an area where many of
the Japanese never had seen an
American, so many people were
fascinated with Lome’s blue
eyes.”
The Detter’s bed-and-breakfast
facilities serve the family well
when the Defter children come to
visit. Only daughter Sharon Shue
lives nearby. Daughter Judy Bran
denburg and her husband are
ministers in Ml Vernon, Ohio,
and Susan Phillips and her hus
band Rodney both assist as minis-
ice,
irge
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ln her well-stocked kitchen, Ailean Detter bakes bread
and prepares breakfast specialities for their guests.
ters at Dover, Ohio. Son David
and his wife also assist as minis
ters at the church in Upland, Cali
fornia. Lome and Ailean currently
have nine grandchildren, and will
soon become grandparents once
again.
Accustomed to children in their
gracious home, the Detters wel
come youngsters as guests and
offer a wide expanse of lawn and a
private meadow picnic area where
they can romp and play. A herd of
Charolais cattle and hay produc
tion keep Dctler’s Acres a work
ing operation, giving visitors a
chance to experience farm living.
Lome and Ailean share a love
of people, which is reflected in
their backgrounds. Lome was for
many years a feed sales represen
tative for Spangle and Sprenkle
Feed Company of York, new
wmesfead
t/Voies
1 4
♦ 5
i
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Hoke Mills, and served six years
as a supervisor for Dover
Township.
Ailean is secretary for the York
County Farmers Association,
handles local paperwork for 199th
District Legislator Rep. John
Brojous, and teaches painting
from her own art gallery on the
farm. A believer in community
service, she is currently running
for a township supervisor candida
cy in the primary election.
Detter’s Acres Bed and Break
fast is 10 minutes from Ski
Roundtop and Pinchot Park. His
toric York, Gettysburg, Lancaster,
Hershey and Harrisburg are all
within about a one-hour drive. The
Detters welcome inquiries and
may be reached at 3361 Old Carli
sle Road, Dover, PA 17315, phone
717-292-3172.
on a
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