| 18th
Century Inns
“This house hums in winter when all the fireplaces
are lit” Jan Davidson told me, about her vintage
1775 Blue Skye Farm (www.blueskefarm.com) in Waldoboro,
Me.
I groaned. My story in the Nov./Dec. issue of Yankee
Magazine – about 18th century inns that remain
open this time of year—had just gone to press.
I had wracked my brains trying to think of an appropriate
Maine inn that wasn’t too far to drive in winter.
I knew all about Blue Skye Farm, just assumed (no excuse!)
that it was seasonal. I was booking a night’s
stay in September when I realized my mistake.
This is a gem of a house with a two-story central stairwell,
patterned in a green and red pineapple design, said
to be stenciled in the early 1800s by Moses Eaton. The
entire remaining interior is painted white, unexpectedly
highlighting the 18th century paneling.
“We had the luxury of living in empty rooms for
four months, waiting for our furniture to come from
England,” Jan Davidson explains. “I loved
the glow of the light on walls and realized that I didn’t
want these rooms to be busy. I wanted to create a restful,
peaceful place in which people would look out the window
and see the marsh.” Small-paned windows are thinly
veiled in European-style lace café curtains.
Peter and Jan Davidson spent a year restoring the house,
which is set in 100 acres of marsh, meadows and woods.
Original detailing includes Indian shutters, paneling
and mantels. Rooms are tastefully, comfortably furnished
in antiques and tempting, well-thumbed books line walls
between the five guestrooms.
Jan and her husband Peter live in a house behind the
B&B, allowing guests access to the kitchen save
in morning, when Jan arrives early to create a very
full breakfast. She can also prepare a candle-lit lobster
dinner, especially popular when the house is reserved
by a group of friends. This happens frequently in winter
when guests tend to come from nearby Portland or Boston
for a weekend of hiking or cross-country skiing.
Yankee’s Editor Mel Allen agreed to let me write
an add-on to the print story at YankeeMagazine.com.
|
