New Owners of Harbour House Welcome Cheshire Neighbors
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The new owners of the Harbour House Inn Bed & Breakfast are inviting their neighbors to a holiday open house on Saturday.
Jennifer and David Showalter, formerly of Dalton, fell in love with the historic Georgian colonial, which dates to 18th century, a year and a half ago. Jennifer said all the pieces fell into place recently and they decided to make the Harbour House their new home.
"My husband and I really love history … and we had looked at the house before but I was still at my full-time job," Jennifer Showalter said. "My husband and I were sitting and having dinner and he said we should revisit that and everything fell into place."
This is their first business venture, however, Showalter has a background in hospitality and said she loves to cook, bake and decorate so it seemed like a perfect fit.
They want to keep the same "vibe" as past owners with the exception of expanding the bed and breakfast so it is open all year. Previously it was a seasonal operation.
"We want it to be laid back and all-inclusive so everyone feels welcomed," she said. "I think the previous owner really had that down to a science and we hope to recreate that magic and expand on it."
The historic house was long the center of a large farm. It was purchased from the Pennimans in 1946 by John and Elizabeth Dilego as a private home. After being sold in the 1980s, it was operated as an inn under several owners.
The seven rooms are well appointed with a vintage feel and have been given bucolic names fitting the season and region: Country Sunshine, Field of Dreams and Mountain Air. The mansion sits on busy Route 8 on one side, but opens onto farmland and vistas on the other.
Showalter said Cheshire is the perfect location for a bed and breakfast because it is, beautiful and centrally located in the county.
Besides the B&B, it caters to small weddings and events inside and can accommodate up to 100 on its lawn.
Showalter said Cheshire has been very welcoming and that whenever she tells local residents that they now own the house, residents light up with excitement.
"People are always excited when they hear we own Harbour House," she said. "One woman almost burst into tears because the piano in the front room was her aunt's who died young so she came in to see it. It really elicits a reaction everyone knows this house."
The open house is mainly for the community to come in and see the house. It takes place on Saturday from noon to 3 and there will be refreshments and possibly a visit from Santa Claus.
"I just love Christmas and I love this house and it seems like a good excuse to have a little party," Showalter said. "We are really excited to be here and we look forward to continuing the tradition of Harbour House."
They said they plan to reopen to guests in January.
Tags: B&B, historical building, innkeepers, open house,
