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Grapevine House - 1834: A vintage year for hospitality
By Mark Weaver
In a world where a century home is considered old, the Grapevine House Bed & Breakfast in Winesburg feels like a bit of time travel. Built in 1834, it was a fine home for many owners, but endured years of deterioration before Tim and Jean Hostetler bought it in 1994. The Hostetlers looked past the disrepair, and saw the soul of a house that needed someone to resurrect it.
The house had been purchased in 1927 by Raymond O’Neil, founder of the Cleveland Playhouse, as a weekend retreat for him and his wife, Dorothy. She opened a tea room, calling it the Grapevine House, and remained in the house till 1994. The Hostetlers knew the house could beautify their village, they just weren’t sure what to do with it. But they bought it anyway, and as houses and owners go, it turned out to be a perfect match.
Tim and Jean decided to turn it into the kind of lodging where they would want to stay in their travels. Although they had no experience in bed and breakfast operation, the couple did have a finely tuned sense of what guests like in a getaway. So they created a haven, carved out of a trip back in time, where the peace and simplicity of a long ago lifestyle seems to ooze from the old floorboards, inviting guests to come and sit a spell. When the Hostetlers discovered the original Grapevine House sign in the basement during their renovations, they found the name for their bed and breakfast.
Tim Hostetler was a building contractor by trade when they rescued the house, and was very hands on during the months of renovation. He saved what he could, and the feel of the old house is astonishingly authentic. A white picket fence and brick sidewalks set the stage, while the old floorboards, in sizes never seen in new buildings, are intact. The wood is refinished, but the squeaks still sound a hundred years old.
The five rooms in the original structure are simply and comfortably furnished, befitting the old house. Each room has a private bath, with a common gathering room for social times. Breakfast is not a grab-and-go continental style, but a full breakfast at a local restaurant. In the Grapevine House, guests can browse the Time & Treasure Trove, a gift shop whose name says it all.
Two years after opening the Grapevine House, the Hostetlers bought the house next door, connecting the two with a back porch. A complete renovation added two more guest rooms and another sitting area, perfect for two couples. When Jean asked her husband what the second house would be called he said, “What do you mean? It’s Erma’s House.” Since Tim’s childhood, he had known it as schoolteacher Erma Shiloh’s house.
One of the most charming features of the Grapevine House is quite hidden, until guests wend their way through the central hallway and out the back door. There the rambling 130-foot back porch overlooks a little slice of paradise, a garden oasis of stunning beauty. Stone walls, trees and flowers, and lush green grass invite guests to spend the evening on the rocking chairs, and absorb the beauty. Beyond the garden lies the postcard view of an Amish farm, and the green valley beyond. Bordering the garden area is the old barn, once used as a wagon shop, and now renovated for their manager’s residence. With its display of old farm and garden tools, it’s another reminder that this place is a piece of history.
In keeping with the old world feel of the house, it seems staying at the Grapevine House is almost like becoming a part of the family. Many repeat guests are really returning friends, Tim said. “Jean and I watch the reservation book, to see who we’re going out to dinner with this weekend.” Many guests return several times a year, often for two or three nights. If regular guests don’t visit for a period of time, Jean may just write a letter to stay in touch. Tim estimates their Christmas card list to be about 800-1000 names. That’s quite a family, but the Hostetlers do care about their guests.
Grapevine House was at the forefront of a renaissance in Winesburg. The timeworn beauty of old buildings is being restored, while brick sidewalks, and the warm glow of old-style streetlamps helps take the traveler back in time. Find out more at GrapevineHouse.com or 888-901-8411.
