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Bed & Breakfast Waynesville North Carolina
Bed & Breakfast Waynesville North Carolina
Oak Hill on Love Lane, A Centennial Home
Bob Breese sat in the formal dining room of a house that was built more than 100 years ago, speaking of days gone by and memories he and his family have made throughout the years. He's no longer the owner of the centennial house, but he often visits with his son Ron and grandson Brad, third, fourth and fifth generations of Clyde Ray Sr., who built the house in 1898.
The centennial house on Love Lane, now Oak Hill Bed and Breakfast, has survived many decades of history - the Titanic tragedy, both world wars, the Great Depression, the Kennedy assassination, the 60's, the Cold and Vietnam wars and everything in between.
Bob Breese, who was born in 1925, and his son Ron both grew up in the house before selling the property years ago. The new owners of the home are Shell and Debi Isenberg, who bought the property in November of 2007 and began the renovation and re-creation of a bed and breakfast.
Clyde Ray Sr., Bob's grandfather, was once the mayor of Waynesville. He began building the house, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places, in 1898 and finished construction in 1900. "(Things were) so different (back then) than it is now," Bob said. "We had electricity and bathrooms, but you never needed air condition because it was so cool. This (area) was always the coolest part in town, and we always had a breeze."
Bob recalled his family had two telephones when he grew up - one in the downstairs hall and one upstairs - and his telephone number was 24. "When you picked up the phone, the central (or the operator) said "number, please," and you'd say "call 230" or "call 89", which was my granddaddy's store. If you didn't know the number, you could say, "call Deb and Shell," and they knew the number - they knew everything". The telephone office for the area, he said, was located on the second floor where The Kitchen Shop currently stands on Main Street in Waynesville.
Many family stories have been passed down from generation to generation about the Ray family, like the story of Ella Davis having 12 children. "One day, she decided she had enough of that and moved into a guest room and installed a padlock on the door so that there wouldn't be any more children - I call it the first version of birth control," Bob said, laughing.
Originally, the house sat on five acres of land, with rolling hills and trees and Clyde Ray owned 27 acres across the street. "We had two barns here on this property, and we had horses, three cows and hundreds of chickens and turkeys, and on the other (stretch of land), we had more farm animals," Bob said.
Not only was Clyde Ray the mayor of Waynesville, he was one of the largest merchants in town, owning three stores on Main Street. Every morning, grandfather got up at 6AM and he would get us (children) up and say, "You'll never amount to anything unless you get out of bed." The children, said Bob, then gathered together for breakfast before the rest of the family woke, and enjoyed hearty helpings of ham, eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, toast or biscuits - something very few families do today. A paid housekeeper, Alma "Yank" Cannon, did all the cooking while her husband Ed tended the gardens outside.
Thomas Wolfe, a famous American novelist and friend of the Ray family, visited the area often, Bob said. And when his aunt Caroline Miller won a Pulitzer Prize for writing the novel, "The Lamb in His Bosom" in 1932, "all sorts of important people came" to the house for a large party. Miller later became Caroline Ray when she married Clyde Ray Jr. Sometimes, Bob said, Clyde Ray held town meetings on the front porch. "The mayor held court then, and it was a $10 fee for reckless driving on Main Street," he said. "We didn't know it, but we lived like kings."
The feel of the Southern home is exactly what the Isenbergs want their guests to feel at Oak Hill today. "We want to honor the tradition and the background of the house," said Debi. "We just think it's a wonderful thing that the descendants are here and they enjoy coming back to visit."
The renovated bed and breakfast still maintains many of its original features - like the detailed crown molding, hardwood flooring and even an original bathtub and sink. "It's an old house, and we've had to do some updating in order to cater to current trends, but we try to keep (the house) as original as possible," said Shell.
"We still have the original pedestal sink and bathtub - our guests really appreciate that we have kept those things in tact." "We really want people to come into this house and feel like they're visiting relatives. We don't want it to feel like a hotel - we want to carry on tradition," said Debi.
Each room also has a name, honoring those who once lived in the home. Five finely appointed rooms, two of which are suites, are available each offering:
* Kathy Ireland Latex Beds
* 620 Thread-Count Sheets
* Hypo-allergenic Bedding
* Porcelain Tile En-Suite Baths
* 100% Egyptian Cotton Towels
* Waffle Spa Robes
* 23" Flat Screen TVs with Cable
* Wireless Internet Access
* Gas Log Fireplaces
* Plantation Shutters
* Original Hardwood Floors
* Ceiling Fans and Central Heat/Air
Oak Hill on Love Lane Bed & Breakfast is AAA Three-Diamond rated, on the National Register of Historic Places and a member of North Carolina Bed and Breakfasts and Inns, and organization working to provide a quality lodging experience for its guests throughout North Carolina.
224 Love Lane, Waynesville, NC 28786
Office - 828-456-7037, Cell - 828-550-7037
www.oakhillonlovelane.com oakhillonloveln@bellsouth.net
For more information, click on Bed & Breakfast Waynesville North Carolina
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Oak Hill on Love Lane, A Centennial Home
Bob Breese sat in the formal dining room of a house that was built more than 100 years ago, speaking of days gone by and memories he and his family have made throughout the years. He's no longer the owner of the centennial house, but he often visits with his son Ron and grandson Brad, third, fourth and fifth generations of Clyde Ray Sr., who built the house in 1898.
The centennial house on Love Lane, now Oak Hill Bed and Breakfast, has survived many decades of history - the Titanic tragedy, both world wars, the Great Depression, the Kennedy assassination, the 60's, the Cold and Vietnam wars and everything in between.
Bob Breese, who was born in 1925, and his son Ron both grew up in the house before selling the property years ago. The new owners of the home are Shell and Debi Isenberg, who bought the property in November of 2007 and began the renovation and re-creation of a bed and breakfast.
Clyde Ray Sr., Bob's grandfather, was once the mayor of Waynesville. He began building the house, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places, in 1898 and finished construction in 1900. "(Things were) so different (back then) than it is now," Bob said. "We had electricity and bathrooms, but you never needed air condition because it was so cool. This (area) was always the coolest part in town, and we always had a breeze."
Bob recalled his family had two telephones when he grew up - one in the downstairs hall and one upstairs - and his telephone number was 24. "When you picked up the phone, the central (or the operator) said "number, please," and you'd say "call 230" or "call 89", which was my granddaddy's store. If you didn't know the number, you could say, "call Deb and Shell," and they knew the number - they knew everything". The telephone office for the area, he said, was located on the second floor where The Kitchen Shop currently stands on Main Street in Waynesville.
Many family stories have been passed down from generation to generation about the Ray family, like the story of Ella Davis having 12 children. "One day, she decided she had enough of that and moved into a guest room and installed a padlock on the door so that there wouldn't be any more children - I call it the first version of birth control," Bob said, laughing.
Originally, the house sat on five acres of land, with rolling hills and trees and Clyde Ray owned 27 acres across the street. "We had two barns here on this property, and we had horses, three cows and hundreds of chickens and turkeys, and on the other (stretch of land), we had more farm animals," Bob said.
Not only was Clyde Ray the mayor of Waynesville, he was one of the largest merchants in town, owning three stores on Main Street. Every morning, grandfather got up at 6AM and he would get us (children) up and say, "You'll never amount to anything unless you get out of bed." The children, said Bob, then gathered together for breakfast before the rest of the family woke, and enjoyed hearty helpings of ham, eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, toast or biscuits - something very few families do today. A paid housekeeper, Alma "Yank" Cannon, did all the cooking while her husband Ed tended the gardens outside.
Thomas Wolfe, a famous American novelist and friend of the Ray family, visited the area often, Bob said. And when his aunt Caroline Miller won a Pulitzer Prize for writing the novel, "The Lamb in His Bosom" in 1932, "all sorts of important people came" to the house for a large party. Miller later became Caroline Ray when she married Clyde Ray Jr. Sometimes, Bob said, Clyde Ray held town meetings on the front porch. "The mayor held court then, and it was a $10 fee for reckless driving on Main Street," he said. "We didn't know it, but we lived like kings."
The feel of the Southern home is exactly what the Isenbergs want their guests to feel at Oak Hill today. "We want to honor the tradition and the background of the house," said Debi. "We just think it's a wonderful thing that the descendants are here and they enjoy coming back to visit."
The renovated bed and breakfast still maintains many of its original features - like the detailed crown molding, hardwood flooring and even an original bathtub and sink. "It's an old house, and we've had to do some updating in order to cater to current trends, but we try to keep (the house) as original as possible," said Shell.
"We still have the original pedestal sink and bathtub - our guests really appreciate that we have kept those things in tact." "We really want people to come into this house and feel like they're visiting relatives. We don't want it to feel like a hotel - we want to carry on tradition," said Debi.
Each room also has a name, honoring those who once lived in the home. Five finely appointed rooms, two of which are suites, are available each offering:
* Kathy Ireland Latex Beds
* 620 Thread-Count Sheets
* Hypo-allergenic Bedding
* Porcelain Tile En-Suite Baths
* 100% Egyptian Cotton Towels
* Waffle Spa Robes
* 23" Flat Screen TVs with Cable
* Wireless Internet Access
* Gas Log Fireplaces
* Plantation Shutters
* Original Hardwood Floors
* Ceiling Fans and Central Heat/Air
Oak Hill on Love Lane Bed & Breakfast is AAA Three-Diamond rated, on the National Register of Historic Places and a member of North Carolina Bed and Breakfasts and Inns, and organization working to provide a quality lodging experience for its guests throughout North Carolina.
224 Love Lane, Waynesville, NC 28786
Office - 828-456-7037, Cell - 828-550-7037
www.oakhillonlovelane.com oakhillonloveln@bellsouth.net
For more information, click on Bed & Breakfast Waynesville North Carolina
Bed & Breakfast Waynesville NC, Waynesville North Carolina, Accommodations, Lodging, Motels, Hotels, Inn, Getaway, B&B, B&B Inn, Bed and Breakfast, Bed and Breakfast Inn, B and B, B and B Inn, B N B, B N B Inn, Bed & Breakfast, Bed & Breakfast Inn, B&B Weddings, Bed and Breakfast Weddings, Hotel Weddings, Inn Weddings, Family Reunions, Maggie Valley NC, Cullowee NC, Sylva NC, Lake Junaluska NC, Blue Ridge Parkway , Jackson County NC, Haywood County NC, Smoky Mountain, Clyde NC , Canton NC, Accommodations, Lodging, Motels, Hotels, Inn, Getaway, B&B, B&B Inn, Bed and Breakfast, Bed and Breakfast Inn, B and B, B and B Inn, B N B, B N B Inn, Bed & Breakfast, Bed & Breakfast Inn, B&B Weddings, Bed and Breakfast Weddings, Hotel Weddings, Inn Weddings, Family Reunions, Western North Carolina University, WNCU, WNC University:, B&B, Bed and Breakfast Inn, Lodging, Accommodations, Hotels, Motels, Inns, Haywood Regional Medical Center, HRMC, B&B, Bed and Breakfast Inn, Lodging, Accommodations, Hotels, Motels, Inns, Waynesville NC Golf Course, Maggie Valley Golf Course, Waynesville GolfCourse, Laurel Ridge Golf Course, Lake Junaluska Golf Course, B&B, Bed and Breakfast Inn, Lodging, Accommodations, Hotels, Motels, Inns, Lodging, Accommodations, Hotels, Motels, Inns, Misc., BMW Motorcycles, Kawasaki Motorcycles, Harley Davidson, Lake Logan Triathlon, Folkmoot USA, Blue Ridge Parkway, Apple Harvest Festival, Great Smoky Mountains, Church Street Art Festival, Biker Friendly Accommodations, Biker Friendly Lodging, Ten Oaks Bed and Breakfast, Laurel Ridge Golf, Maggie Valley Club, Waynesville Inn, Springdale Golf, Lake Junaluska Golf, Bed & Breakfast Waynesville North Carolina
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