by Kay Steele Faulk
With the help of her husband, Gary, innkeeper Rose Burke is living her dream. After eight years of searching from Virginia to Maine for a bed and breakfast to buy, the couple was transferred to Frankfort for Gary’s job. When Rose first saw the 167-year-old home at 519 Ann Street that was once considered for the governor’s mansion, she knew this was it.
Eighteen months and 260 gallons of paint later, Rose and Gary opened The Meeting House Bed and Breakfast—7,000 square feet of historic charm, replete with four guest rooms with private bathrooms, a beautiful second-floor veranda and comfortable library, new carpet and refinished floors. A year later, they added the café and gift shop.
“We worked hard to keep the original flavor of the house,” Rose said. “We’re New Englanders, though, so it does have a New England flair. People tell us it also has a New Orleans flair. Now that’s a mix!”
The Meeting House’s popularity grew so fast that Gary joined Rose as an innkeeper fulltime. They’ve had to hire two employees to help out. But it’s no wonder people love it and book their rooms a year in advance for area events. Every morning, Rose serves guests a full course candlelight breakfast. In the afternoon, guests delight in her homemade cookies served with unlimited soft drinks.
When you want something really special, Rose serves private dinners in the evening for eight or more, by reservation. You simply pick two items from her menu, which she prepares especially for you. They’re closed to the public at night, so your party will be the only diners there. They also do small weddings, showers and parties for graduation, retirement and birthdays.
“Guests like staying at The Meeting House because they can walk to all the great downtown restaurants,” Rose said. “We’re also close to the History Museum and the Civic Center, so it’s a handy place to be. People tell us they like staying here because it’s a fun place to be!” For more information, call 502-226-3226 or visit
www.TheMeetingHouseBandB.com.
New resident John Locke has traveled abroad in 35 countries and lived in five: Spain, England, Norway, Korea and, most recently, Japan. So, when this world citizen chose Frankfort as his new home base, one would wonder what a Central Kentucky town of 27,000 had that would attract his attention.
"First," John said, "I wanted to live near family, and my aunt and uncle live in Frankfort." But with relatives throughout the U.S., there had to be more to John's decision. He explained, "when I saw Gene Burch's photos of Frankfort online, I was sold on moving here. It's small and very pretty, which is good for my filming and photography business, and it's centrally located for travel to Chicago and New York."
What's more, John's research revealed that Kentucky is one of the top locations in the U.S. for Japanese businesses. And with a portfolio chock full of corporate-training film and video production as well as Web development and database design for a long list of Japanese corporations, this fact was an important consideration in choosing a location for his company SursumMedia.com. A high-speed broadband Internet connection supplied by the Frankfort Plant Board makes it easy for John to work with his network of business partners scattered the world over.
Although John plans on building a home in the near future, he found the perfect apartment, owned by Jeff Kell, in South Frankfort. "It has hardwood floors and all of South Frankfort's charm. And coming from a high-rise in downtown Tokyo where space is at a premium, I really enjoy the apartment's high ceilings and spacious rooms." Since his arrival, this adventurer, who holds a degree in international studies, has spent time touring the countryside and exploring. He said, "The discovery that the people here are both well traveled and globally minded has been a nice surprise for me."
And, once settled, John did not forget the photographer whose photos of Frankfort originally drew him to his new home. In appreciation, he built Gene Burch a new Web site at www.geneburch.com, and a web site for the Frankfort Heritage Press book "Historic Images of Frankfort" at www.FrankfortHP.com. Both sites are a must-see for all those thinking of making Frankfort their Kentucky home.
by Kay Steele Faulk
Mary Evans Sias and her husband Shad, with daughter Adrienne living in Austin, moved from Dallas to Frankfort for Mary's new position as President of Kentucky State University. "If moving can be delightful," Mary said, "our experience certainly was. Arnold Moving, a Kentucky company, contacted us and handled everything."
Coming from a city of several million to one of 27,000 has been the biggest change for the Sias family. "Everyone is so friendly," Mary said. "In restaurants people recognize me from the newspaper photos and come over to speak. It's been very engaging, and we love knowing our neighbors in Hillcrest where the KSU president's home is located."
Mary expressed delight in being able to drive across town in several minutes and in the local expression ‘over yonder' for describing a short distance away. She has been impressed by Frankfort residents' strong sense of pride and history.
The time zone change has required some adjustment, and although Mary and her family haven't experienced winter in Kentucky, she knows they will need warmer clothes. "But the beautiful spring and mild summer months make getting used to a colder winter well worth it," she said.
An unexpected but pleasant change for Mary has been her exposure to Kentucky wildlife right at her home. She said, "In Hillcrest the deer are always out. We have a family of six. They come up to our patio and the fawns sun themselves." She also sees beavers regularly and claims to having "very smart raccoons." She explained, "When my husband seasoned the grill, he cooked a whole chicken, which he disposed of in the garbage can. Next day, we discovered the raccoons had taken it out, sat on top and eaten it all without spilling a drop. We found the bones neatly in place." Laughing, Mary said their garbage can is now safely secured with luggage straps.
When Joy Jeffries's husband, Larry, retired from the ministry, the couple lived in Bastrop, Louisiana. The Jeffries knew they wanted to relocate somewhere central to their children and to Joy's mother and 100-year-old grandfather. "Each time we visited our daughter who lives in Frankfort," Joy said, "the town struck a cord of familiarity. It just looked like home to us."
Then, Joy's daughter called with news of a classified ad for Franklin County's director of tourism. The job would be perfect for Joy. And after the couple thought about it and prayed about it, Larry told her, "For years, you've followed me all over the country. Now it's my turn to follow you." Joy submitted her resume in early July, and they moved Labor Day.
Their daughter's home in The Heritage is equipped with a full basement apartment that was a great landing spot for Joy and Larry while they house shopped. Because of Joy's passion for historical preservation, the couple originally looked at older homes. But the day Larry said, "If we bought a new house, we'd never again have to worry about plumbing, heating and cooling or replacing the roof," Joy told their realtor new homes only.
Coming from the Deep South, Joy thought the change in climate would be hard, but she describes it as "glorious." And although their lives have changed radically after a lifetime in the ministry, Joy loves her job as tourism director. She also expressed delight with the community. "The people are incredibly friendly, open and welcoming. There's a real Southern hospitality here."
The most rewarding aspect of the Jeffries' move to Frankfort, however, has been daily involvement in their grandchildren's lives. Mathson is three and five-year-old Mikenna is a student at the Frankfort School of Ballet. A typical proud grandmother, Joy said, "There is nothing Larry and I would rather do than watch Mikenna perform at community events!"
by Kay Steele Faulk