ROUSES POINT — Work is under way to convert the first Cedar Hedge Nursing Home to a bed and breakfast.
New owners Bill and Anne Carey closed on the large brick home at 250 Lake St. on Aug. 3. Extensive renovations are under way, and they hope to be open by late spring 2013.
Mr. Carey said his wife had talked about opening a bed and breakfast for the last 15 to 20 years.
“We looked at this place a couple years ago. We almost came to an agreement,” he said.
Mrs. Carey said they didn’t act because she “got cold feet.”
The spacious three-story brick building served as a nursing home from 1957 to 1985, when a new facility was erected next door. Later, there were apartments upstairs, and the place had been on the market for several years after Cedar Hedge closed in 2006. Mr. Carey said he was impressed by how sturdy the building remains.
The structure features hardwood floors and some woodwork on the walls. Plans call for a common area, kitchen and dining room on the first floor.
The common room features scenic views of Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains, as does the wrap-around porch.
COUNTRYSIDE MURAL
“I think we’ll initially be renting out four rooms,” Mrs. Carey said.
Those will be located in the eastern half of the second floor, including two rooms that also offer lake views. The Careys plan to use the western side for their residence.
There are fireplaces in the common room, dining room and one of the guest rooms. The Careys plan to turn the butler’s pantry to a small area where guests who want to get an early start can enjoy a continental breakfast before the regular meal is served.
The dining room features a countryside mural that covers the upper portion of the walls all the way around the room. Mrs. Carey said she was told it was done by an Italian artist who was briefly stranded in the area, but she is hoping to confirm that information.
Plans for additions dated 1911 — done by Dillon, McLellan and Beadel, Architects, 1128 Broadway, New York City — are posted on an upstairs wall. Then, the place was home to John R. Myers.
“We hope to bring it back to that (earlier) setup,” Mr. Carey said.
LOTS OF IDEAS
The Careys are doing much of the transformation on their own. Mr. Carey said he has renovated a number of properties over the years.
The third floor will remain as is for now but could also be renovated at some point in the future.
Mrs. Carey said she has a lot of ideas that go above and beyond the typical bed and breakfast. Those will have to wait until they see how business goes.
“We’ve already received a lot of positive feedback from people,” she said.
Email Dan Heath
dheath@pressrepublican.com
