In
our personal travels, we have been fortunate enough to have encountered various
refurbished hotels from the Victorian era. As Sherlockians, naturally, such lodgings
hold a particular attraction for us. We have made photographic records of some
of our visits and, with your permission, we would like to share them with you. |
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One doesn't usually speak of West Virginia (particularly Parkersburg!) and Victorian splendor in the breath, and, we admit that Parkersburg is a little out of the way of the paths of ordinary commerce, but please allow us to introduce you to the Blennerhassett Hotel, a fine revision of Victorian era splendor situated in the heart of downtown Parkersburg, West Virginia. |  |
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hotel is a splendid reconstruction of a 19th century structure and is named for
the Blennerhassett family prominent
iin the area at the turn of the 18th - 19th century
(Click
Here for details). When we visited the
Blennerhassett, the winter Holiday season was rapidly approaching and the opulent
lobby of the hotel was graced with a proper Victorian Christmas Tree disguised
as Santa Claus! |
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The guest rooms are a pleasant and comfortable (if not downright posh!) experience in time travel to "always 1895." The particular room pictured here is called the "Marie Antoinette Room" and it is graced with a portrait of that lady (incidentally, the town of Marietta, Ohio, just up-river from Parkersburg, is named for Marie Antoinette). We kept looking around, apprehensively, for a guillotine, but fortunately found none! | |
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The
guests' lounge and game room was also decked out for the Holiday Season. This
room is elegently appointed with comfortable furniture cozied up to the fireplace
and game tables. Here the term "game room"
doesn't imply video games, but rather suggests more refined passtimes such as
chess, backgammon or, perhaps, just a peaceful game of checkers.. | |
 | Although
more in the style of art deco than Victorian, the hotel's restaurant/dining room,
Spats, provides a varied menu of well prepared foods in a most pleasant atmosphere,
often accompanied with live piano music.thoough |
And
all this in Parkersburg, West Virginia!! | |
PS |
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Speaking
of Blennerhassett Island, which we just did above, this is now a West Virginia
state park dedicated to the preservation of memory and works of the Blennerhassett
family in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Here is a photo of the modern
reconstruction of the original mansion on the island. | Each
autumn the State of West Virginia holds a festival
on Blennerhassett Island at which visitors are treated to re-creations of the
customs, sights and sounds, costumes and food of colonial America. Here is the
Blennerhassett mansion illuminates by hundreds of candles and torches. |
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Volunteer
actors represent Mr. and Mrs. Blennerhassett and greet their guests in the foyer
| The
candle-lit dining room at Blennerhassett mansion which is just one of the many
rooms viewed by featival attendees |
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Alongside
of the activities in the "main house" able volunteers recreate the "servants'
party" as it would have been celebrated in the late 1700s in America. The
hooded figure on the right is acting as "host" and entertaining the
assemblage with island ghost stories | The
servants' party festivities are enhanced by musicians playing period tunes using
insturments appropriate to the turn of the 18th - 19th centuries. |
We
don't really know why this sort of thing pops up on a Sherlock Holmes web site.
Well, it started with the Victorian hotel and then our enthusiasm sort of got
out of hand. The history of the Blennerhassetts, and especially their association
with Aaron Burr, former Vice President of the United States, during Mr. Burr's
flight from prosecution for treason is most interesting! Click
Here to visit the Island's web site. | |