Back inn time: 5 NC hotels with history
August 30, 2024
5 boutique hotels — in restored historic North Carolina homes — for a stylish and classic getaway
by Vanessa Infanzon
Many of North Carolina’s historic homes, some built more than 150 years ago, have been transformed into luxury accommodations for travelers. The stewards of these properties — couples, families and corporations— embarked on restoration projects underscoring the historical significance of the buildings. “These buildings tell stories,” says Myrick Howard, president emeritus for Preservation North Carolina, a nonprofit based in Raleigh that “rescues” endangered historic properties. “The stories for each one are interesting and complicated. When the buildings are gone, the stories are gone too.”
While guests enjoy spa treatments, fine dining and lush gardens, Howard suggests also learning about the home: what changes were made, what was kept the same and who was involved in its design. The stories may surprise you. “We can use these buildings to learn a whole lot more about our history, our society and how we got to where we are,” Howard says. “And that covers race and gender and class and all sorts of ways of looking at history.”
Photographs by Caitlin Antje, courtesy Heights House
Heights House
Raleigh, built in 1858
In 2021, husband-and-wife team Sarah Kunz and Jeff Shepherd opened Heights House with nine en-suite rooms after a three-year renovation. The couple noticed the house while walking through the historic Boylan Heights neighborhood in Raleigh. Architect William Percival designed the Italianate-style home in 1858 for William Montfort Boylan, the son of a local businessman. After 10 owners and 150 years, the dilapidated home sat empty for some time, overgrown with vines.
When Kunz and Shepherd finally viewed the inside of the home, they saw potential in the arches, columns, curved walls, 15-foot ceilings and painted glass dome in the cupola 40-feet above the entryway. Bryan Costello, a Raleigh-based designer, took the lead in redesigning the interior. Costello honored the home’s architectural elements, adding furnishings and art that complement the original colors, shapes and textures.
Upon arrival, Heights House guests are welcomed with a glass of sparkling wine. A European-style continental breakfast, including locally sourced products, is served each morning. Take a spin around Raleigh on a Linus bicycle, or work out at one of two off-site gyms — both amenities are complimentary. Book a massage and facial in your room through the hotel’s front desk. Afternoon tea featuring organic Rishi tea, sandwiches and desserts from local bakery Lucettegrace can be reserved in advance.
308 S Boylan Ave., Raleigh
heightshousenc.com
Photographs courtesy Graylyn Estate
The Graylyn Estate
Winston-Salem, built in 1932
Bowman and Nathalie Gray moved into the Graylyn Manor House in 1932. Bowman, who started as a traveling salesman for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, was the son of the co-founder of Wachovia Bank, now Wells Fargo. Bowman eventually became CEO of Reynolds, the first non-family member to hold that position. The country estate was built in the Norman Revival style architecture with stone walls and a hipped roof. Individual room décor was inspired by the Grays’ travels: The Persian Card Room displays paneling from Syria and Arabic poetry on the walls.
After serving as a home for two generations of Grays, a hospital and a medical school, the estate was donated to Wake Forest University in 1972. Since the 1980s, Graylyn has hosted guests for leisure travel, meetings and weddings in its bungalows, cottages, manor house and mews. Book Mrs. Gray’s room, and view the golden rose design embedded in the bathroom tile. Relax in the sunroom and enjoy the home’s original fountain.
Each afternoon, Graylyn staff serve complimentary butterscotch cookies, a recipe handed down from Mrs. Gray and named for her two Scottish Terriers, Butter and Scotch, with lemonade or hot chocolate, depending on the season. Another unique perk: Unlimited ice cream is available any time of day throughout the property.
1900 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem
graylyn.com
Photographs by Elements Studio, courtesy Pandora’s Manor
Pandora’s Manor
High Point, built in 1905
When Henry Fraser — a furniture-company executive — commissioned Pandora’s Manor in 1905, he spared no expense. Named for his wife, Pandora, the home’s distinct craftsmanship — wood laid in concentric squares, granite quarried from Mount Airy, oak paneling in the hallway — is seen throughout.
In 2016, Eastern Accents, a Chicago-based textile company, purchased Pandora’s Manor and gave Louise Traficanti, the company’s creative director, free rein to “make it beautiful” and retain the early 1900s vibe while adding modern conveniences. Traficanti secured six designers, including Thom Filicia, Celerie Kemble and Madcap Cottage, to reimagine the six en-suite rooms. Guests may select from a pillow menu, from high-power goose and duck down to a hypoallergenic down-alternative microfiber.
The manor serves a three-course breakfast, all made from scratch by the innkeeper, and homemade cookies. Live music and wine tastings are held on the home’s 14-foot-deep porch.
Each season, Pandora’s Manor hosts a themed high tea in coordination with High Point Museum. The event focuses on a component in history, while guests enjoy dishes that tie into the topic.
407 West High Ave., High Point
pandorasmanor.com
Photographs courtesy The Fearrington House
The Fearrington House
Pittsboro, built in 1927
Over the last 50 years, R.B. Fitch and his late wife Jenny Fitch developed Fearrington Farm into a village with brick walkways leading to an independent bookstore, café, spa and boutiques.
The farm’s colonial-style home became The Fearrington House Restaurant in 1980. The chef-led tasting menus, including a vegetarian option, and prix-fixe four- and seven-course dinners are served in rooms overlooking the picturesque Knot Garden and Garden Terrace. The bar’s Late Bloomer — a floral cocktail made with gin, citrus and cucumber — won the 2024 Cocktail Trophy from Relais & Chateaux.
The Fearrington House Inn debuted in 1986. Its 32 rooms and suites offer decadent amenities, such as heated bathroom floors and towel bars and turn-down service. Linens and bedding like those in the rooms are also available for purchase at the village shops. Guests enjoy a full breakfast, from eggs and bacon to pancakes and steel-cut oatmeal. The sunroom and garden house, with views of Jenny’s Garden and the Knot Garden, are available to inn guests for relaxing, reading and meeting up.
Wine tastings at The Belted Goat, the village’s café, are every Saturday from 1-3 p.m. and are free and open to the public. McIntyre’s Books, listed in Southern Living as one of 15 most beautiful places in North Carolina, hosts author events and story time every week for children. Curl up in the Literature Room’s cozy seating with a book recommendation from the staff.
2000 Fearrington Village Center, Pittsboro
fearrington.com/the-fearrington-house-inn
Photographs by Keven Spargo, courtesy The Saluda Inn
The Saluda Inn
Saluda, built in 1880
The Saluda Inn was in disrepair when Jay Burriss and Joel Kirby bought it in 2020. It required a professional cleaning and 12 construction dumpsters before the couple could begin a two-year renovation project.
Saluda’s first doctor and pharmacist E.B. Goelet built the Queen Anne-style home in 1880. By 1914, it had doubled in size and changed names to The Charlton Leland, an inn to accommodate summer vacationers.
Now, the four-story home features 12 en-suite rooms, heart pine floors and a four-sided exposed brick fireplace in the lobby. Any doors or wood removed from their initial locations were repurposed in the renovation. Goelet’s apothecary cabinet was gifted to the inn for display in the house. Burliss and Kirby scoured local towns for old and new furniture and other accents. Guest rooms, each decorated with a different custom fabric, include California king beds and period-style black-and-white hexagon tile in the bathrooms.
Guests are met with a glass of cava and given a tour of the inn, highlighting the history and its original footprint. Breakfast is a high-scale continental affair, served in the sunroom overlooking Judd’s Peak, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The wine cellar, once the home’s root cellar, is open to overnight guests. On Wednesday and Friday nights, the wine cellar also opens to the public and serves artisan flatbreads and salads. SP
229 Greenville St., Saluda
thesaludainn.com
