Once again, Jerry H. Bloom is our guest writer. He writes for City Line News, a weekly newspaper published in Narberth, PA, reaching the Main Line and Philadelphia's western suburbs. He writes about hotels, inns, resorts, restaurants, chefs and cruise ships, as well as developing newsletters and providing desktop publishing services for small businesses.

Watchtide's buildings date back to 1795 and they still hold the charm of early america with large rooms filled with antique furnishings, artwork, pumpkin pine floors, and wood-paneled ceilings. History buffs take notice! One of the previous owners of the property was General Henry Knox, George Washington's first Secretary of War. Nancy-Linn never said so, but maybe George might have stayed over too?

Watchtide presently o ffers five named guest-rooms. Four are on the second floor. The one on the first floor is named The General Knox Suite. When I visited in September, 1999 Nancy-Linn was just talking about converting this space. Now it is on-line and ready to receive guests.

The General Knox Suite is furnished with a high king-size bed with a pillow-top mattress and luxurious bedding. There's a 19th century mahogany antique console mirrored headboard with side cabinets, a ceiling fan, cable TV, and a sound therapy machine with CD player and digital AM/FM radio. The adjacent room contains a day-bed and can also serve as a sitting room for reading or an extra bedroom for that 3rd person travelling with you. This room also has a full bath with tub and shower, a decorative fireplace, many books on the shelves, and oriental rugs.

In the early part of the last century, the property was known as The College Club Inn. The Inn attracted a society clientele and it hosted several President's wives including those of Warren G. Harding and Herbert Hoover. Another frequent visitor was Eleanor Roosevelt. One of the upstairs guest rooms is named after her. The Eleanor Roosevelt Suite has a king size bed that can convert to twin beds and is backed by a handmade quilt. This suite offers an ocean view with spectacular sunrises. The adjacent bathroom offers a 2-person Jacuzzi, a shower, and very large skylight.

The Brigadier Room has an eastern view where you can see the sun rising over the bay. A pedestal sink is located in the bedroom and a pocket door leads to the private bath with a corner stall shower. This room has Battenberg lace curtains and bedskirt. The bed is a fancy antique white iron double bed high off the floor and topped with a handmade quilt in soft greens and mauves to match the wallpaper.

The southwest room is called Lucy's room and is named after General Knox' wife. It's decorated in soft country blue with candy cane pink and white accents. Lucy's room has handmade Sheridan cherry furniture with a Baltimore Album quilt flanked by tall cherry shutters serving as headboards. The private bath has a tub with shower and is decorated in matching colors.

Pettee Room

I stayed in the Pettee Room during my visit. The Pettees purchased the property in 1901 as a summer home. It's decorated with Edwardian flower design wallpaper in hunter green, deep wines, and blues on a parchment background. The king-size bed has a massive antique brass headboard and is topped with a matching handmade quilt. The large private bath has a shower stall and pedestal sink.

Nancy-Linn and Jack offer quality accommodations and services with a lot of pampering and extras such as handmade natural soaps, robes, hair dryers, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, shower caps, sewing kits, nightlyturndown service, and wonderful breakfasts.

Nancy-Linn has over forty different breakfast menus. She serves sweet and savory breakfasts on a beautifullyrestored sixty foot long enclosed porch filled with wicker furniture and flowers. The porch has windows its full length that overlook the rear garden inhabited with wild song birds. You can also see the clear waters of nearby Penobscot Bay glistening in the sunshine.

For those of you who have always had a yen to operate a bed and breakfast business, Nancy-Linn holds a hands-on seminar several times a year, using her Watchtide B&B as a learning center.

For more information, rates, and reservations, you can reach Nancy-Linn Nellis via E-mail: stay@ watchtide.com; or toll-free at 1-800-698-6575. Make sure you visit her new website at Watchtide Bed and Breakfast.

All photos ©Jerry H. Bloom