This week I sat down with Claudia to hear about the room named Florence, located on the second floor of the Grandison Inn, which is named after the youngest of the Maney children. James Maney, as you may know, was the original owner of this historic home, which he subsequently passed on to his children. Florence was well into her eighties when Claudia and Bob Wright purchased the Inn, and would occasionally stop by to see how everything was going. During these visits, Florence was able to fill them in on lots of history that hadn’t been written down anywhere. These memories made the history of her childhood home come alive, and today, help us get a peek into the past.
Throughout her visits with Claudia, Florence would reminisce about the 1900’s details, like gold velvet curtains that separated the parlor from the dining room and foyer, and about having ice delivered in the days before refrigeration. She shared about going to the store in horse and buggy, and having milk & eggs delivered. As a young girl, Florence questioned her mother one morning as she watched the deliveryman bring the day’s eggs. “But Mother, I thought the Easter bunny brought the eggs?”
Being the youngest child in the family meant that Florence’s brothers and sisters courted long before she did. They would bring their dates home and sit in front of the fire for hours at a time. Florence quietly resented them, because she knew the job of cleaning out the ashes would fall to her!
By 1996, Caludia and Bob had purchased the Inn and were working on the renovations. To get the word out about the upcoming opening of the Inn, they began hosting evening parties, weddings, receptions, and anniversary celebrations. Florence stopped by one day and asked if she could invite the remaining Maney family for one last Thanksgiving together, in their old home. The Wrights happily obliged and loved having them as guests. Florence stayed in her old room, which Claudia had since named after her. Around 9pm on Thanksgiving night, Florence came out in her robe and slippers, and knocked on every door just to say goodnight. It’s a sweet little memory that Claudia recalls fondly.
Today, the Florence room at the Inn is well loved by many of our guests, especially for the details of the round windows and antique bed from the early 1900’s.