814-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 5, 1998
Fifteen beautiful inns will be open for tour during the Holiday Bed and Breakfast
Tour, Sunday, Dec. 13. The proceeds benefit children and adults with mental
retardation.
Holiday
Tour
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
Charlene Sweeney is busily pre
paring Cocalico Creek Bed and
Breakfast for Christmas. Graceful
white pine roping and red bows
line the split-rail fence along the
driveway.
If you are one of the passerby’s
who admire the exterior elegance
of Sweeney’s and many other Bed
and Breakfast homes that populate
the county, take advantage of the
chance to sec the interiors of 15 of
these inns during the annual Holi
day Bed and Breakfast Tour, Sun
day, Dec. 13.
Each featured home will be
decorated for the holidays. Many
stops will feature artwork or spe
cial demonstrations by local crafts
persons. Light refreshments will be
served.
The lour, sponsored by ARC of
Lancaster County, helps raise
funds to support services for peo
ple with mental retardation, and
their families.
Four years ago Charlene pur
chased the property. Since then she
has remodeled the bedrooms,
added private bathrooms and cen-
Inn owner Charlene Sweeney serves puffed omelets to
guests Doyle and Elaine Swackhamer of New Jersey.
Bed And Breakfast
Features 15 Inns
tral air, closed in a back porch, and
added her personal decor.
As much original woodwork
and molding as possible was sal
vaged to retain the aura of the 1927
classic stone home, which is said to
have been built by a Brubaker who
was a descendcnt of the man who
gave the town of Denver its name.
The spacious foyer features a
built-in closet and hat closet, which
Charlene uses to display brochures
and other information of interest
fra- tourists. A built-in mirror con
sole, typical of the era’s architec
ture, is to the left of the winding
stairway that leads to the four guest
bedrooms upstairs. On the landing
between the floors are window
seats for guests to sit and relax.
Each of the bedrooms is named
after a bird that inhabits the proper
ty. These include Egret, Mallard,
Blue Heron, and the Goldfinch,
which is the master suite with a pri
vate balcony.
Except for the kitchen, which
has a red-painted hardwood floor,
the home has original hardwood
floors reflnished to a patina sheen.
Handsomely built comer cup
boards, lots of built-in shelves, and
cupboards arc in almost every
room.
Since Charlene’s private quar
tets are cm the third floor, the for
mal living room with a large stone
fireplace is reserved for guests.
The fireplace was converted to gas
to make it easier to operate and
maintain. A table with checkers
and games and other homey touch
es lend warmth and comfortability
to the inn.
In selecting the decor for each
room, Charlene started with an
oriental rug and, from it, deter
mined the wallpaper and window
treatments to use.
Each loom is tastefully decor
ated, but perhaps the most stunning
feature is the wonderful setting of
the property. The hone's multiple
windows overlook cattle grazing in
the meadows. A morning mist rises
from the the meandering Cocalico
creek where waterfowl splash.
Along the creek's edge is a spa
cious yard with shnibs, venerable
trees, and a children's play area.
The pastoral setting reminds
Charlene of her Conneticut roots,
where she grew up working in
tomato, tobacco, and strawberry
fields.
Charlene moved to the state 13
years ago. She said, "I love it here.
It is the peacefulness of the area
that attracted me,” she said.
“I worked in accounting firms
for years and wanted to something
that wasn’t so stressful,” Charlene
said of decision to become an inn
keeper. “Little did I know!”
Although the daily deadlines of
preparing the rooms for overnight
guests is a lot mote work than
Charlene anticipated, she enjoys it.
“I’m a morning person. I like to
make breakfast and I like to pam
per people,” she said of the three
ingredients that make her the gra
cious hostess.
In addition to the gourmet break
fast, Charlene makes her own jams
and jellies and gift jar mixtures that
guests often purchase to take along
home. She continues to work part
time, and is compiling a cookbook
for the Bed and Breakfast Associa
tion. She is recording secretary for
the area historical committee and
has just resigned from the local
planning commission.
In addition to Cocalico Creek
Bed and Breakfast, where artist
Kay Mohn will display her Red
wood Ranch Pottery, the tour will
include the following:
• The Artist’s Inn and Gallery,
117 E. Main SL, Terre Hill. The
♦ t '“iN*
The inn borders rolling pastures and a winding creek
with an assortment of waterfowl.
Federal style home built in 1853 is
furnished throughout with antiques
and decorative touches. Colored
pencil artwork of artist/innkeeper
Bruce Garrabrandt will be featured
throughout
•Rocking Horse Bed and Break
fast, 285 W. Main St.. New Hol
land, is a 200-year-old stone Colo
nial farmhouse, which has three
working fireplaces, random width
wood floors, and wide window
sills. Watch the owner create anti
que rocking horses, carousel
horses, bedheads, and more.
• Wayne Brook Inn, Rts. 10 and
322, Honey Brook, is a 200-year
old country inn with equisitely
appointed guest rooms.
• Fassitt Mansion, 60S 1 Old Phi
ladelphia Pike, White Horse, is an
1845 country mansion with
12-foot high ceilings and fire
places in almost every room. Tales
of its connection with the Under
ground Railroad and ghost stories
will entertain guests.
• Limestone Inn Bed & Break
fast, 33 E. Main St., Strasburg, is
an elegant 200-year-old home
placed on the Lancaster County
Historic Sites Register. The home
has unique Georgian architecture
with medieval overtones. Holiday
decorations include Byers Carol
ers, baskets, and natural materials.
Wood turner Dan Schaeffer will
display wooden bowls and
ornaments.
• Flowers and Thyme Bed and
Breakfast, 238 Strasburg Pike,
Lancaster, will greet guests with
the aroma of the holidays. The
charming inn is located on a rural
acre of land. Antiques, cross-stitch,
and quilts add festive holiday
Poached pears are one of the many specialties served at
Cocalico Creek Bed and Breakfast
touches. See hand-painted clothing
and a display of fruit syrups for gift
giving.
• O’Flahcrty’s Dingcldein
House, 1105 E. King St, Lancas
ter, is a 1910 Dutch Colonial. The
unique inn was the former resi
dence of the Armstrong family of
floor tile fortune and is exquisitely
decorated. More than 20 trees,
ranging from miniature to 12 feet
in size, will be displayed through
out the house. Holly and bows
decorate the tailings from the first
to third floors and the two working
fireplaces.
• Rock-A-Bye Bed and Break
fast, 138 W. Frederick St., Millcrs
ville, is a Federalist style inn that
features a rocking chair in every
room. Built in the early 1700 s, the
home features a Victorian parlor
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