Description of Business
Nature of the Business
The property is intended for use as a Bed and Breakfast Inn, to be called the Red Barron.
Requests for an eight room Bed and Breakfast Use Permit and a building permit for proposed renovations have been approved by the City of Los Amos. Construction bids were submitted by three licensed General Contractors. Bayside Construction has been selected to perform the necessary renovations and improvements. Based on the scope of work, construction is expected to take five to six months. Adding some time for contingencies and start-up preparations, and taking into account the expected slow down of tourism in the latter part of the calendar year, the inn is expected to open for business in January, 1995.
The property was selected based on a variety of factors, including:
- Appropriately zoned for B & B use
- Prime location in an older neighborhood already well into gentrification
- Location in a popular, scenic, and recreational destination, with a proven track record of attracting travelers, tourists and special event visitors
- Architecturally significant house that is already a City Landmark and has the potential for placement on the National Register of Historic Places
- Excellent floor plan in main house that will easily provide spacious guest rooms, private baths, and ample common areas
- Private, well landscaped back yard
- Ample off-street parking
- Three cottages that can provide either monthly rental revenue or income as part of the B & B
Initially, only the main house will be part of the Bed & Breakfast, providing 5 guest rooms. The 3 cottages will continue to provide monthly income until the (inn) business can support their inclusion. The inn will ultimately include eight guest accommodations.
Inn patrons can enjoy ample common areas, including a parlor, sunroom, large dining room downstairs, and a sitting room with window seat upstairs. Quality furnishings and furniture, including many antiques and hand-stitched needle-work items, will help create a warm and inviting environment. Features of the common areas include two fireplaces, a baby grand piano, and a varied selection of reading material and games. Sitting areas will be comfortable and well lighted.
Guests will also be able to enjoy outdoor seating, either on a deck adjoining the sunroom or in the secluded backyard. In addition to providing a pleasant spot to relax or dine outdoors, the deck will also provide an aesthetically pleasing solution to the required wheelchair ramp.
Each of the 5 guest rooms will have a private bath with shower. Three rooms will also have a whirlpool tub, two rooms will feature a fireplace, and two will have a private deck. One will also have a sitting room and private entrance. As described in some detail in the Industry Analysis and Marketing Strategy sections of this plan, these are increasingly popular features. One guest room and bath, located on the ground floor, will also be handicap accessible.
A full breakfast will be served and included in the room rate. Turn down service, evening refreshments, and an array of special services, including wine for purchase, will also be available. A Beer and Wine License will be obtained to accomplish the latter.
In addition to ample street parking on both Springhill Drive and Sun Lane, guest parking will also be available on the property. There are six existing garage spaces and three uncovered spaces will be added, including one handicap and one compact.
Proposed rates and policies are outlined in the Marketing Strategy Section.
Physical Description of Buildings and Property
Located at 824 Springhill Drive, the house and adjacent structures are on a prominent corner lot in an historic residential neighborhood of Los Amos with compatible Victorian homes representing the various styles of that era. Present on the approximately one half acre parcel are a large two story house, three single story cottages, and a six-car garage.
The main house was built prior to 1870 and is an excellent example of the Gothic Revival style popular in the United States in the 1850s to 1870s. It is on the Master List of the State Historic Resource Inventory and has been designated as a City Landmark. It has also been placed in nomination for the National Register of Historic Places, however, the house has been temporarily removed from consideration by the owner until exterior renovations have been completed.
Although no famous personage was born or resided in the house, it has many of the characteristics of the Gothic Revival style popularized in such books as Andrew Jackson Dowing's The Architecture of Country Houses. The Chief Officer of the State Office of Historic Preservation has deemed this house architecturally significant because it is such a good example of this popular style and retains the integrity of the original design. Also notable is the fact that the house was continuously owned and occupied for nearly 100 years by the descendants of an early Los Amos resident, Clyde Hawthorn, who purchased the property in 1895.
The house consists of five bedrooms, parlor, dining room, two sunrooms, kitchen, and large study. The interior is accented by such features as a built-in desk and display case, two fireplaces, a curved stairway, and hardwood floors.
Also on the property are three cottages, one studio and two one-bedroom units. These dwellings were built in the late 1930s and early 1940s as extended family living quarters. Like the main house, the cottages have hardwood floors and interior features such as built-in corner cupboards.
Landscaping is well established and includes holly, persimmon, fig, and tulip trees, as well as numerous rose and camellia bushes. Also on the grounds are a stone and mortar patio with a path leading around the main house, connecting the patio to the front walk. Shading the patio is a wooden arbor graced by tea roses planted by the early owner, Clyde Hawthorn.
Location
The property is located in the city of Los Amos, in the Paris Valley wine region. The Paris Valley runs southeast-northwest and is approximately 29 miles long and 4 miles across at its widest point.
The Paris Valley consists of approximately 32,000 acres of planted vineyards. In this valley alone there are over 200 wineries. Most of these wineries are visitor oriented, offering tours of their facilities and complimentary or nominal fee wine tasting. Some feature restaurants and art galleries or schedule music concerts, cooking schools, and other wine-related events.
The area is also one of the state's foremost tourist regions. The city of Los Amos typically receives 2 million visitors each year, with at least as many visitors to be found in the valley on any given weekend during the harvest season as in Southern California's Disneyland.
Only a little over an hour's drive from the Metropolitan area, city-weary guests looking for overnight or weekend get-aways are also attracted to this beautiful and peaceful area.
The county has scores of excellent restaurants, several notable galleries and gift shops, and an array of recreational facilities. Add to this the four distinct and desirable seasons, and you have an excellent foundation for a year-round tourist-based business.
Area Attractions
Points of Interest
- Over 200 wineries
- Numerous spas and hot springs
- The Wharf Marina
- Lake Sunfish
- Sumner's Dunes
- Thorne-Spring State Parks
- George Silver Blockhouse
- Terrance Museum
- Hawthorn Wine Museum
- Sharps Museum
Historical Landmarks
- Bale Grist Mill
- Robert Louis Stevenson Park
- Reading Railroad
- Old Calistine Depot
- Krammer Winery
- Charles Benning Winery
- Davis Wine Train
Recreational Activities
- Paris Valley Riverboat
- Tours by air, including glider, biplane, Cessna, helicopter, and hot air balloon
- Bicycle routes
- Hiking trails
- Horseback riding
- Golf
- Tennis
Seasonal Events
March & April
Great Chefs Series (Robert Price Winery)
June
Concours d'Elegance
Monday Night Concerts (Domanique Silano Winery)
Robert Price Summer Festival
Paris Valley Wine Auction
July
Paris County Fair
Fourth of July celebrations
Bastille Day celebration (Domanique Silano Winery)
August
Paris Town & Country Fair
September
Antique Show
Chesterfield Art Exhibit
October
October Fest
Silverville Days Festival
Great Chefs Series (Park Winery)
November
Paris Valley Wine Festival
Great Chefs Series (Georgia Cleo Winery)
Renovation and Expansion Plans
