Across America, there are hidden antique and museum-quality treasures in our bed and breakfast inns; one-of-a-kind murals and historic wallpapers not seen anywhere else! ILoveInns.com, the nation's premier source for distinctive B&Bs and country inns, has done some digging to find five
Block Printed and Hand Water Colored
Boston's Gryphon House B&B is an 1895 brownstone close to downtown's many attractions. It also has two full sets of Zuber 'El Dorado' mural wallpaper, designed in 1848 and installed when Gryphone House was finished in 1895. The historic Zuber paper was block printed and hand water colored; making it a truly rare treat for antique lovers. This B&B also has four original murals created by artist Michael Ernie Kirk, when the building was remodeled in 1997.
Mexican muralist and bullfighter Salvador Corona
Once a secluded retreat for famed actor John Wayne, the Hacienda Corona De Guevavi Bed and Breakfast in Nogales, Arizona is named for Mexican muralist and bullfighter Salvador Corona, He is the artist who painted the Hacienda's interior courtyard walls with scenes of Mexican life in the 1940 and 1950s. Later on, owner Ralph Wingfield lent John Wayne some cattle for use in his film "Red River". Wayne and Wingfield became friends as a result, which led to the Duke became a regular guest at the then-ranch. Today, the Hacienda Corona De Guevavi Bed and Breakfast still offers a retreat from the modern world, in charming southwest surroundings sure to ease and please.
1919 Three-Layer French Silk Mural
Housed in a rambling Italianate mansion built in 1874, the Pinehill Inn B&B in Oregon, Il. features antique silk mural wallpaper. Applied in 1919, these murals are made from French silk put on in three layers. All applied by hand, the first layer provides the mural's background. The next layer includes the trees with an occasional ox cart. Finally, the third layer features people. There's no set pattern; the artist who created these murals likely placed the subjects to work with the rooms' flow. All told, these murals make this wonderfully-kept Victorian manor even more magical!
Gold Rush Mural
You can find the Gold Rush-styled Hotel Charlotte B&B in Groveland Calif., on the road to Yosemite. Inside its rustic rooms, you'll find brass beds, quilted bedspreads, and even old-fashioned claw-foot bathtubs! In the games room, there's a mural painted by artist Jan Hightower, depicting life during the gold rush period. The Hotel Charlotte is named for Charlotte DeFerrari, who built the hotel in 1921. A legendary figure in Groveland, Charlotte's ghost is said to roam the hotel's halls.
Victorian Artist
Wow! There's no other way to describe the wonderfully-gingerbreaded Bedford Inn B&B in Cape May, New Jersey. Built in an 1883 vacation home, the Bedford Inn's dining room walls and ceiling are decorated with historical murals painted by artist James McLaughlin. You'll feel plunged back into history in this room, or the ten period suites offered by the Bedford Inn. This is truly a Victorian getaway!
Gryphon House
www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/massachusetts/gryphonhouse.htm
Hacienda Corona De Guevavi Bed and Breakfast
www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/arizona/haciendacoronadeguevavibedandbreakfast.htm
Pinehill Inn
www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/illinois/pinehill.htm
Hotel Charlotte
www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/california/charlottehotel.htm
Bedford Inn
www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/new_jersey/bedford.htm
Still undecided? Log onto www.iloveinns.com and browse through the 19,000 B&Bs and country inns that specialize in other events and locations that may interest you. Many of the properties listed above are also in the best-selling bed and breakfast guidebook Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns with a Buy-One-Night-Get-One-Night-Free Certificate. ILoveInns also offers Bed and Breakfast Gift Certificates, a perfect solution to help celebrate any occasion.
About American Historic Inns and iLoveInns.com
American Historic Inns, Inc. (www.iloveinns.com), founded in 1981, is the leading publisher of bed & breakfast guidebooks, with more than 2.5 million bed & breakfast guidebooks sold, and runs iLoveInns.com, a top bed & breakfast and country inns directory.
Note: For photos or interviews, please contact Deborah Sakach at 949-497-2232 extension 308.
