B&B’s Offer Relaxing and Luxurious Local Getaways
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Seeking a break from the standard hotel room and continental breakfast? A variety of cozy bed-and-breakfasts in and around Fulton County stand ready to pamper and please.
At Richmond’s Reflections, a bedroom makeover became a new business venture for Ray and Doris Richmond. The couple turned their family home into a B&B in August 2003.
“We were redoing a room when a friend came by and said that our house would make a nice B&B,” Ray Richmond says. “We’d thought about it in the past, and so that was the motivator.”
After being in the home for 37 years, it wasn’t as though they had to start from scratch. A Victorian theme stretches to outside gardens, and the rooms and suites have been outfitted with all-modern conveniences. Turning a private home into a small hotel hasn’t been without its challenges, but the rewards are plentiful, Richmond says.
“The most fun is meeting the people,” he says. “Some are coming to see relatives and friends, and we’ve had others from all over the world.”
Another longtime area resident has taken a historic property and lavished time and attention on it, so much so that it now is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Olde Knox Mansion, built in 1898, has been owned by Marty Quinn for 14 years and was converted into a B&B during an extensive renovation process.
The home was built by Charles Knox, who founded the Knox Gelatin company, now a part of Kraft Foods. Over time, Quinn has been able to amass a collection related to the business, including some empty gelatin boxes with Hebrew printing sent by some Israeli guests.
The 42-room home, according to some visitors, has a permanent guest: Rose Knox, the widow of the home’s builder, who ran the company for decades following her husband’s death.
“More than a dozen people say they’ve seen her,” Quinn says. “I just hope she likes everything that has been done to the house.”
Another Victorian home finding new life as a B&B is Gladsmere, which was built in Dolgeville on the banks of the East Canada Creek. Near the historic Daniel Green Felt Shoe Co., the home includes oak paneling, stained-glass windows featuring Kokomo glass, original Czechoslovakian crystal chandeliers and nickel-plated register covers dating to the 1870s.
Gladsmere is owned by Mr. and Mrs. William Smith, who turned the property into a B&B in 2004.
“It’s something we always wanted to do,” Mrs. Smith says. “I enjoy cooking, like to meet people and love to entertain. We’ve had guests as far away as England and Japan, and from Long Island to California.”
Gladsmere sees its share of special events, including weddings, which can be a mixed blessing sometimes.
“The weddings are a lot of fun, but they are also the most nerve-wracking,” Mrs. Smith says. “But having the wedding guests here, and the bride and attendants getting dressed here, has been a lot of fun.”
For a special stay in a beautiful setting, Betty’s River Road Bed & Breakfast in Northville is a good choice. This scenic, romantic and secluded bed-and-breakfast is ideally located for all Adirondack seasonal activities.
Story by Joe Morris
Photo by Wes Aldridge
