Never a dull moment around here!
We are back at it again -- another renovation project. This time to room #4. This room is in our main house on the second floor. It features a king bed, deluxe shower (with multiple heads and jets), gas fireplace, jacuzzi tub along with views of picturesque Cazenovia Lake and the sprawling back lawn.
As you may know -- we love a renovation project for so many reasons, one of which being that we always find something, hidden somewhere. Whether it is layers of wallpaper or sheep wool insulation, a building of this age is just teeming with stories from yesteryear. We love finding any shred of influence from the people who have walked these hallways before us. This building is well loved
As we began demo the other week, we pulled out the drawers of the built-in dresser in the bathroom. Tucked away under the drawer was a note that said "our union with god" and gave the date of January 5th 1989 which leads us to believe this could have been the date of their wedding. Little scribbles marked the napkin along with what looks like names.
What we found to be even more exciting was the note on the backside of the napkin. This one was read with much more clarity.
This one was from a couple named Jim and Donna from Salem, NH. The note talked about how they were away from their children for the first time in 14 years, and enjoying a second honey moon!
On a whim, we googled Donna and Jim.
We couldn't leave the story unfinished! After leaving a rambling message about finding the note at the inn, we weren't sure what would transpire.
Well, Donna and Jim called back. And turns out they were the authors of the note in question!
They said they were riding their motorcycles in the area, and they had been plagued with rotten weather (so hard to imagine bad weather in upstate New York!) they drove to the inn and this was apparently the last room available, so they jumped at the chance for a break from the biking.
They loved the inn so much, that they opted to stay for a second night. At that time, they began to explore the room (in great depth apparently!) and found the note. Loving the idea of adding their mark to a little bit of history - they wrote a note, buried it back under the drawer, and told no one at the inn.
That was 1997. 26 years ago.
Much has changed in their lives since 1997, but Donna and Jim are still doing well! And from the sounds of it, they haven't slowed down a bit. They plan to visit the inn again in the near future, and may just have to leave another note - tis' tradition at this point.
I think what stuck with us the most about this story is the message of love that permeated everything. From the original note citing a blessed "union" to the response note saying "True Love. Always & Forever!" we can't help but adore the whole story. And it just goes to show how much love this building has witnessed since it was built in 1890. We feel honored to be a part of this history.
Now -- let's show you all this renovation! Don't mind the mess!
Demo Day
About Room #4:
This room has a such a rich history within the inn. In the early 1900's this room would have been the one and only guest suite on the property. Can you believe that in the vastness of this mansion, there was only one guest room! Influential friends of the Standard Oil financier would have traveled by railroad to Cazenovia to vacation with the family during the summer months.
To this very day, this room is one of our most loved suites on site. Countless guests have told us how this room was where they stayed on their wedding night or for a romantic getaway, or a special anniversary. For more information on room #4, click here.
Current Photos of Room #4
When we first took over the restaurant and inn, this room had a bright pink jacuzzi. It has come a long ways from there, and we are excited to see where this renovation goes! Check back for more photos as we continue with improvements and updates.
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