At Last...

Bessie’s Inn is taking reservations.

We would love for you to be our guest!

It's almost time to reserve your dates!

It’s official. We can move in.

This sunflower grew out of concrete. At first it seemed so sad with such a little flower. Now it has over 20 blooms. I wonder if this was Bessie’s….

Bessie's Inn is almost ready for guests.

Dealing with final touches makes it hard to find time for blogging!

Master carpenter, Tom Roosenberg is creating a safe wheelchair ramp. Bessie’s Inn partner, Holley Jones is refinishing the 9’ kitchen table. Best Buy will be bringing in and installing appliances during the next two weeks. They include a fridge with water and ice in the door, washer and dryer, gas range, microwave and dishwasher. All appliances will be available for guests to use. Scott’s Plumbing is finishing up. A surprise sunflower has smiled upon the Inn. It is very tall with a one small bloom. Upon a closer look, it shows many additional blooms will open soon. Stone mason, Amos Blackwood is hand picking the stones for steps from the parking area. To the right of the Inn you can see the new driveway created by Jason Brandenburg. It will be easy to pull in with plenty of parking. It will be one way. There will be no more backing out into the road. The last photo is of the railings created by Custom Creations. We had to have Derek rework them because of a design flaw that was no fault of his. He cheerfully refabricated, doing an excellent job.

Granite counters!

Finally, the natural stone counters have been fabricated and installed. These counters far surpass by expectations. They are easy to clean. Guests won’t have to be careful. They can take abuse & come out shining. The idea is for this to be a comfortable, relaxed place to stay. Family gatherings here will have a kitchen in which they can cook up an old fashioned family feast.

The bathroom vanities have granite counters also.

The claw foot tub...

This old tub came with the Inn. It had to be relocated as demolition and construction was happening. Moving a cast iron tub is no easy feat. That isn’t even to mention cleaning it. The inside of the tub is in pretty good shape. But the bottom and feet needed some serious work. This tub will be well appreciated at the Inn. There’s nothing like soaking in a tub after a day of biking or hiking wilderness trails. A relaxing soak would be a good way to reflect on a day spent wandering through one of our outstanding local museums.

Azalea took on the project. What an incredible job she did. The feet are unbelievable. After grinding the paint off the feet, this detail emerged. This is no ordinary tub. It is longer than the average claw tub and narrower. It will be quite lovely when placed in tile alcove that’s been created for it.

Now, it needs to be returned to the Inn. The final phase, plumbing should begin soon.

Why does this matter?

Because it was to be one of the final steps and it happened.

This was the storage shed at the Inn. It was used during construction and was full, and I mean full! Thanks to the help of Tyler and Azalea it has been emptied. Thanks to Mika, from Crestwood Storage Buildings, it’s been moved. It served it’s purpose well. It was originally purchased Crestwood Storage Buildings. This building is very sturdy and weather tight. At it’s new location it will be well used. It will begin by housing the flooring that came out of the Inn. The previous shed location will become parking at the Inn.

Remember the railings? These are patterned after the original wooden rails. The wooden rails were in need of very expensive restoration and would have been high maintenance. These are fabricated of steel. The upstairs rail is elongated height wise. The original upstairs rail was short. It did not meet code. It made me nervous to be out there with a child. The Inn is kid friendly. It needs to as safe as possible. The rails will be powder coated. They will need little maintenance.

Did you notice? The house changed color. It is no longer primer yellow. It is sail white. Doors will be next.

Three sides of the house, painted white, as she always was. The doors are only primed in these photos.

Trim and doors!

It’s beginning to feel like home. The knotty alder doors and trim are beautiful. The builder has done an impeccable job. The first picture is from a couple of weeks ago. There was still paper on the floor and sawdust everywhere. The other two photos were from today. The saw dust is gone and the paper has been removed. Todd, our builder, always cleans as he goes. It is obvious he takes a great deal of pride in his work.

The yard work has not begun, other than mowing. We are very grateful to have had a man contact us and attack that part of it! It was way past due. We have begun cleaning out this old shed. It will remain as a place to investigate and image what came before. I wonder how long the holly hocks have been here. We are waiting to really attack the foliage to give it a chance to show us what it has to offer. We have seen lilacs, red buds, four oclocks and daffodils. This yard was once loved and cared for. We hope for it to be loved again one day soon. Bessie’s Inn sits on two thirds of an acre, right in town. The woods above the Inn need attention. As time allows we will forge paths making it possible to walk up there in summer months. Meanwhile, a nicely mowed yard and two front porches will make this a stay conducive to being outside.

Nearing completion...

So many things have changed since the original purchase. The good news is, this place will be more spectacular then I ever could have hoped.

The upstairs floors are finished! The thresholds will be set when the doors are installed. That will be next week!

The white clover Holley planted is actually growing. This is in spite of torrential rains and even a freezer or two.

The trim is happening. It’s knotty alder, like the cabinets. It will be stained early American, again, like the cabinets. We should be seeing granite counter tops soon

Cabinets!!!

The kitchen is beginning to look like a kitchen!

Moving forward

The ceramic tile is finished. The entire downstairs floor is ceramic, as is the upstairs bathroom. This is tile, not wood. It will be easy to care for and last forever.

Meet Jeff. He was our tile guy. This guy “gets it”.

What you’re looking at above are two shots of the landing at the bottom of the stairs. One side of the landing is the front parlor, the other the kitchen. Notice the floor runs in the opposite direction in the parlor than it does in the kitchen. I love how Jeff made the tile go in the same direction on the landing riser as it does on the floor.

Above you have the upstairs shower, the area for the claw foot tub and last, the downstairs shower. I like a shower with a little bench and cubbie. Makes for a more enjoyable showering experience.

Really? A pandemic? Where do we go from here?

So much work has been done. We carry on. If the Inn were ready, we couldn’t be hosting guests. How long will this last? When will the Inn be ready?

Todd, the awesome contractor, has heroically, and carefully carried on. He still goes to Inn. He visits early, not meeting with others in person. He checks on the job. He made sure to get all the materials for the tile job on site, so the tile guys could carry on. This is huge. In a time when the economy could be headed for the darkest time in my 67 years, the Inn is supplying three guys with work. That’s three less people in the unemployment line, at least or a couple weeks.

Tile, durock, thinset & grout! Oh boy. This was a job just getting it all in the house. It’s not even all pictured here. In a couple weeks the tile job should be complete.

The fireplace hearth has been trimmed. The front parlor floor tile is carefully being installed.

This is the downstairs shower. Note the cubby and corner seat. You must visualize the spacers removed, or not. We’ll have pictures soon enough.

This tile will surround the claw foot tub that has been in the house since the first time plumbing came in.

A new chapter has begun

As we are all concerned and (hopefully) being cautious during this challenging time, Bessie’s Inn continues to move forward. The contractor on this project has been amazing from the beginning. He is being very cautious. He is sterilizing knobs, switches, etc. He is getting materials on the job single handed. He is setting it up so that only one or two people are on site at a time.

The light fixtures have been installed. The Inn now has power! The gas is hooked up.

The front front porch is coming a long. The porch ceilings have become sky blue.

Below are front porch details. Don’t get attached to the yellow color. That is just primer.

The old fire place has been cleaned up. There are some very interesting plans in the works for this area. The triangle of wood that you see was part of the front porch. It was used as a pattern. The new triangles are in place, pictured above.

The woods....

Above the Inn there is a wooded area. Before Winter gives way to the buds of Spring we will clear the forest floor to make it amiable to walk with with your four legged family member.

So many flowers from days past are showing their greenery.

From above the Inn, in the woods, you can see over the Inn and up the hill. As you can see, the woods need attention.

You’ve got to wonder what this was doing in the old chicken house. The plan is to remove the chicken house to make room for parking. The old shed out back will be kept.

If shoes could talk....

What would they say?

These little shoes were next to the chimney. They revealed themselves as the old floor came up. They are the size, perhaps, of a four year old. I like to think of a little person running in the yard. Back in the day, the area around the Inn was unpopulated. The store next door did not exist. Today that store will be super convenient for travelers.

And then there's the outside......

The front porch is being carefully disassembled and reassembled. This is for safety and longevity. Once complete it will look much as she did in the beginning of the last century.

The original front stairs lead to the old rock walk way. The walk way will be reworked, as time and construction have taken a toll on it. There are a lot of the original rocks available to spruce it up. The walk way will continue to the street with a large rock crossing the ditch once the failing culvert has been removed.

These are the old rock steps that lead to the outhouse and chicken house. Above them will be a generous parking area. Cars will enter from Governor’s Hill and exit the other side. The shed in the picture will be relocated.

Sometimes it’s the little things. In the dead of Winter, in the middle of a muddy construction site, these sad little sticks remain. These were Bessie’s four o’clocks. Todd, the contractor made the statement the other day that they had been working around these sticks the entire time. He followed that statement with the fact that they are really pretty in the summer.

Take a moment to also notice the bottom of the house. This is where the foundation needed to be reworked. The space will be filled with some of the original rocks.

Here you see the side of the house where there will be an 11’x20’ deck. There will be a rock walk way down the side of the house, just to the other side of the french doors, where there will be steps leading to the deck. The deck will be in the area above the rock wall.

Details, details, details

As Spring gets closer, so does the completion of the Inn. Yes, we still have a lot to do. It’s getting easier with the demolition behind us.

Now it’s time for the decisions that will shape how it feels to spend time visiting. Things like flooring, counters, cabinets & fixtures. This is truly the fun part. Fun, yet trying, as we would like to please the masses with our choices. The number one factor is to pick what is easy to keep clean, as cleanliness will be a priority.

We have chosen granite counters. Downstairs will have have rustic tile planks for flooring.

Siding, doors & windows!

Bessie’s Inn has come so far. The vision becomes a clearer each day. So many craftsman have already been involved. There is still a huge list in front of us. Every day there is another thing to think about. It’s been quite an adventure. I certainly hope folks will enjoy staying here as much as we’re enjoying this project.

The footprint and floor plan are in place. The plumbing & electric are in. Insulation was the latest big step. Forward we go.

Meet Todd, the guy looking at the camera. He’s the general contractor on the job. I can’t even begin to express how pleased we are with the job he’s doing. He is very hands on. At his side is Alvy. These guys finished the siding last week.

Still moving forward.....

She is really beginning to take shape!

The reality of the Inn is starting to sink in. Every week we see more progress. We can now walk from room to room. We can look through the windows and imagine what it would be like to stand at the sink and look at the trees. We can start to get the feeling of how it will be to sit in the front parlor, or chill in the upstairs parlor. Yes, I said parlor. Because back in the day when Bessie’s was built, they didn’t have living rooms, or dens, they had “parlors”. They didn’t have bedrooms, they had “chambers”.

Hence the term “chamber pot”! But no worries, Bessie’s Inn will have two spacious bathrooms. Each bathroom will have a shower, complete with a seat and nook for your favorite toiletries. The downstairs bathroom will also include the original claw foot tub. The tub will be freshly glazed. Often when traveling one wants to hit the shower and go. But, perhaps after a busy day touring glorious northwest Arkansas, a luxurious soak would feel good and help induce sleep.

There will be four chambers. One will have a king size bed, two will each have a queen size bed and the fourth will have two full size beds. We will name the chambers. You can hand pick your chamber or chambers, depending how many are in your party.

Back to the parlors. The downstairs parlor will be connected to the full service kitchen, separated by the staircase. It will have an entertainment center and plenty of seating. The upstairs parlor will be tucked away from the center of the house, offering a quiet place to read or watch TV.

With a large yard and a 10x20 deck, Bessie’s will be pet friendly. No worries if you have pet allergies. Housekeeping will go the extra mile after the furry fellows leave. Animal beds will be furnished to help make animals comfy and discourage them from being on furniture.

Bessie’s downstairs will be wheelchair friendly, offering access to the front parlor, kitchen, bathroom and two chambers.

The first photo was taken from the front parlor, facing the kitchen. The second photo is of the french doors (not yet in place) that will open to the deck. The third photo shows an east facing window in the upstairs parlor. The last photo is, finally, a roof!

September 29, 2019

The adventure continues. History just keeps surfacing.

The slab for the back half of the house is finished. I stopped by as John Miller was finishing the concrete. He took a moment to talk to me. He had an interesting story to share. He heard that a man attempted to hang himself on the front porch! As the story unfolded he said the man was standing on a 5 gallon bucket. After he “kicked the bucket” he had second thoughts and cried for help. He was then rescued by someone close enough to hear. I can’t help but wonder if there is truth in this story. Maybe one of you following this project knows. I would love to hear from you.

This above image shows the slab, prior to being totally finished.

The front of the house has been reframed and wrapped. This week the old floors in the original part of the house will be evaluated to see what can be saved.

I cannot sing enough praises about the job our contractor is doing. This place will be spectacular.

Seriously-the history has been amazing. It is my intent to share it throughout the house. This was apparently used as “wall paper” to spruce the place up. How special it must have been to have a Canadian paper!