Stone Inn

Now we enter the original building on property, the Stone Inn.

Early on, out-of-town clients visiting Dr. Anderson would stay at his home in Bedford or one of the taverns there. As more guests came to “take the waters,” Dr. Anderson decided to build a hotel. Built in 1806, the Stone Inn was constructed with stone and timber that was brought down from the mountain across the road.

The original building was 2 stories high and included 24 guestrooms. The additional floor was added in the mid-1800s. The original stone façade was modified at that same time to give the resort its unified look.

We have the original contract of what it cost to build the Inn:  $110 plus “Goods, room and board,” and 5 gallons of whiskey.

Going up the stairs to your left, you are now standing on the Stone Inn’s front porch. Look at the depth of the windowsills to see how solidly this stone building was built!

The first room to your left was the kitchen. The hearth has been beautifully restored with its original brick and iron framework. The large bellows was used in an old iron foundry.

The antiques you see here and around the hotel were collected by Bill Defibaugh, whose family traces its Bedford roots back 200 years. They owned Defibaugh’s Tavern, which was located a few miles east of Bedford. This room is named in his family’s honor.

Guests of the Bedford Springs would often take outings to Defibaugh’s Tavern using the hotel’s carriage, named the “Tally Ho,” which is pictured to the right of the hearth.

Did you notice the original 6-panelled door as you entered this room? This style is often referred to as the “Christian Door” because the top four panels are thought to form the sign of the cross and the lower two panels to signify an open Bible.

Stepping back out to the porch and looking down to your left, you can see a door, window, door, window pattern. Through each door was a separate guest room. During renovation, these guestrooms were combined to provide a dining space.

As you walk through the Historic Wing, you’ll notice that the lighting fixtures represent the period that the building was built. Here in the Stone Inn, they look like candles.

Through the next door to your left, you’ll see the long rifles that were made by the ancestors of Bill Defibaugh. The bottom rifle is a rare side-by-side double-barreled rifle.

At the bottom of the case is a combination tomahawk and peace pipe for use if talks didn’t go well! The arrowheads in the case were all collected here on the hotel’s property and are still sometimes found in the woods.

The woolen coverlets on the far wall were made in the 1830s. Craftsmen would weave them on looms. Once the Civil War occurred, the wool was needed to make uniforms. So instead, people would make patchwork quilts from any piece of scrap material available. If you want to know more about coverlets and see how they are made, we invite you to visit the National Coverlet Museum located on Juliana Street here in Bedford.

The needlework samplers on the opposite wall were made by young ladies in the 1800s and early 1900s. This was a way to practice both their sewing and letters. If you look closely, you’ll see that several of these samplers do not have the letter “j.” At that time, “j” was used interchangeably with the letter “i.”

Moving back onto the porch, in the case to your left you can see a wooden runner sled. It was used here during World War II when the Bedford Springs became a US Navy radio training school. During their downtime the sailors would sled on the golf course.

The Frontier Tavern on the lower level was added with our 2007 renovation. From the distressed wood on the floor, to the multiple seating levels, to the candle-style lights, the designers tried to give it a colonial period feel. Many different wallpaper patterns were uncovered during the preparation for the 2007 renovation. Some replicas have been used here.

This antique cook stove is of the type that would have been used here at the hotel.

The crock in the corner was originally used to store ginger beer. It now stores blankets that guests can use when gathering at the fire pit. The fire pit is used year-round, weather permitting.

Please continue your tour.