Flowertown Bed and Breakfast is located in the historic district of Summerville, South Carolina, a city northwest of Charleston, South Carolina. The business is open year-round and offers four rooms and a private cottage in the rear garden. Breakfast is served each morning and is complimentary with each reservation (except for extended stays). The grounds surrounding the home are landscaped with plantings, flowers, and other outdoor features like fountains and pergolas. The establishment is capable of hosting many different kinds of events, including weddings, showers, high teas, retirement parties, birthdays, and more. The owner can accommodate 40 people indoors, and up to 100 guests outdoors. A variety of stores, wineries, and restaurants are within walking distance of The bed and breakfast. Charleston is a larger city, about 20 minutes away from Summerville, and is located on the edge of the ocean.
Flowertown Bed and Breakfast offers a total of five rooms. There are four rooms in the
main house, and the fifth unit is a cottage that is located behind the home. Inside the
main house, there is a large central hallway leading to the dining room and stairs to
the second floor, with another central hall, four suites, and a library nook. The hallway
on the first floor is large enough to accommodate groups, according to the owner, as well as tables and chairs for visitors when an event is being held on the property. According to Carol, the owner, the rooms are decorated with "Victorian period antiques." She also mentions, "I've been collecting antiques since I was a teenager, so there are many of them throughout the home."
According to the owner, whose name is Carol, the rooms are decorated with "Victorian period antiques." She also mentions, "I've been collecting antiques since I was a teenager, so there are many of them throughout the home." The units have similar sizes and amenities but are uniquely decorated. Amenities visitors can find in the suites of the main house include Wi-Fi, cable television, a coffee maker, and a private bathroom equipped with linen towels and the business' own brand of soap and shampoo. The cottage is the largest unit available for guests to rent and has a bedroom, living room, and kitchen. The kitchen contains a full-sized fridge, oven, microwave, dishwasher, and various cooking supplies like pots, pans, plates, and cutlery. The owner explains that the cottage is furnished and has "an open room concept." A television in the living room area and a queen-sized bed fold out from the wall. One can also find a couple of twin beds so that the cottage can sleep a greater number of patrons than the other units. Carol, the owner, says, "It will sleep as many as six when we are done adding onto it." Also found inside the cottage are a washer, dryer, and a bathroom with a second shower. Regardless of which unit is reserved, each visitor staying at Flowertown Bed and Breakfast is invited to breakfast the following morning.
The rooms have similar sizes and amenities but are uniquely decorated. Amenities visitors can expect include Wi-Fi, cable television, a Keurig coffee maker, and a private bathroom equipped with linen towels and the business' [own] brand of soap and shampoo. The cottage is fully furnished and has a bedroom, living room, and kitchen. The kitchen contains a full-sized fridge, oven, microwave, dishwasher, and various cooking supplies like pots, pans, plates, and cutlery. The owner explains that the cottage is fully furnished and has "an open room” concept, a television in the living room area, and a queen-size bed, as well as two porches overlooking the gardens. The cottage also has two additional beds, allowing 4-6 patrons to stay in the house at a time. Inside the cottage are a washer, dryer, and a bathroom with a step-in shower. The Cottage is “fur-baby friendly,” meaning that patrons are welcome to bring their pets to stay with them in the cottage. The owner mentions that The Yellow Room tends to be popular among guests, because it is “light and bright, has a large bathroom with a vanity,” and is where many bridal parties get ready when the property is hosting their wedding. The Green Room is another noteworthy room because it is furnished with a former guest’s grandmother’s Victorian bedroom suite that they donated to the Bed and Breakfast.
Carol, the current owner of Flowertown Bed and Breakfast, would like her patrons to
feel like they are at home. She wants people to be comfortable and encourages
every guest to “treat this grand old house as their own.” To help them feel this way,
Carol works hard to make their stay special - sometimes leaving a gift in their
room if they are celebrating an anniversary, birthday, or other events. If she knows a
regular guest is returning, she may stock up on teas that they like or leave a
notecard for them.
There are several policies in place that guests need to abide by while they are
staying at Flowertown Bed and Breakfast. Smoking is not allowed inside or on the
porches. With an additional fee, the business can accommodate pets, and patrons
must notify the owner of any animals before the guest arrives for their stay.
It is not uncommon for the owners to host events on the property. Carol frequently
hosts weddings, bridal showers, birthday parties, retirement parties, and other similar events. One unique event that she has hosted is a historic dinner where she partners with a friend who is a personal chef, creates a seven-course meal, and about 14 people are invited to attend the dinner.
Many visitors who come to Summerville are in the area to experience Charleston,
which is about 21 miles away. The owner mentions that Flowertown Bed
and Breakfast guests come to Summerville to visit family and friends or scout the
surrounding area, looking for a new place to live and retire. A number of patrons
have left 5-star reviews of their experiences at the inn. One person wrote, "The house
was in great condition and very clean. I appreciated that we could get into the house
via keyless entry since our check-in was late in the evening. The Yellow Room was
beautiful to stay in, and breakfast the following morning was delicious. The
landscape and gardens are breathtaking."
Flowertown Bed and Breakfast was built in 1889 by a Civil War veteran, who built the
home shortly after Charleston experienced the infamous 1886 earthquake. All of the
ceilings in the original home are made of wood in the hopes of making it less likely to cave in or crack in the event another earthquake occurred. According to Carol, the
current owner of the bed and breakfast, the Civil War veteran who built the house
took in many people, including a widow, his wife's niece, and nephew, and many
children the war had orphaned. The second person to own the building was a man
that had been well-known in town, as he had been a local judge and sheriff and held
other important positions in the city.
Flowertown Bed and Breakfast has been owned by Carol and Chris Grant since 2018,
after two and a half years of searching. The previous owners had planted the gardens and renovated the house to become a bed and breakfast, owning the acreage for nearly 15 years before selling it to the current owner. Carol explains that she had been looking to buy the “perfect venue to warmly welcome guests” for over two years. When she came across the house, she was drawn to it, mentioning that she fell in love with the interior design of the house, the southern Victorian porches, and the gardens.
There have been several updates that have occurred since Carol took ownership of
the establishment. One of those updates included landscaping and adding a variety
of flowers. She explains that she and her husband have spent much time in the gardens, maintaining the grounds, and landscaping the area to their liking. The next
project Carol would like to do is add a roof to one of the pergolas in the garden. She
would also like to add an outdoor lanai or pavilion that would be able to
accommodate more people for weddings and other special events.
710 South Main Street
Summerville, South Carolina 29483
United States
Victorian
Carol and Chris Grant
