Dinner at Graceland

I had dinner at Graceland.....

Oh, wait a minute. You thought I meant THE Graceland in Memphis? Home of Elvis?

Nope. I had a delightful dinner at the original Graceland in Elkins, West Virginia. It was part of my bus tour.

I was surprised to find out that a friend of mine from Wakefield was taking the tour as well. That's Mary on the left... me on the right. We were served steak, chicken over rice, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and dessert on beautiful Homer Laughlin china. So elegant, and the student waitresses were so kind and helpful.

The beautiful Queen Anne Victorian house was built as a summer home for Henry Gassaway Davis who was a West Virginia Senator from 1871-1883. It stands on a hill overlooking the town of Elkins and has a view of the gorgeous mountains. Above is a picture of the back entrance.

Our dining room featured this beautifully decorated mantle topped by a huge mirror which reflected the stunning beams on the ceiling and the chandelier.

A large entry hall ran from the front porch to the back portico where we entered. There is a huge fireplace with a deer head mounted above it and atop that is a large painting which extends to the second floor ceiling. I bet Senator Davis killed that deer and had his trophy there on display.

Our food was served buffet style in that great hall. Dining room is to the left, front porch out the doors.

I peeked into the library which now has overflow dining tables. This mantle was of huge interest.. the Delft tiles are of Biblical verses and I wanted to see that since my daughter, Marie, does tiles.

It was here, at a lower elevation, that we saw some beautiful Fall trees.

The house was first named Mingo Moor but later renamed for Davis' favorite daughter, Grace. After his death she and her family continued to spend summers in the home. She died in an automobile accident in 1931 and the house was sold in 1939.

Well, poor Graceland, that beautiful building was now owned by Davis and Elkins College and it was turned into a men's dorm. You can imagine how it was treated with young men living there. After years of misuse it was closed in 1971, a meer ghost of the grandeur it once was. There was talk of even tearing it down!! Heaven forbid... I hate things like that!! But, the townspeople came to the rescue and it is now a bed and breakfast, restaurant, conference center and a teaching tool for the students in Hospitality Management at the college.

A view of the front of the house. You will find more information HERE

This post is linked to HOME AND GARDEN
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