Frederick House Bed and Breakfast is located in the downtown area of Staunton, Virginia. Twenty rooms are spread out between four buildings, which are available for patrons to reserve throughout the year. Breakfast is complementary to visitors to the property and is hosted in the dining room of the Main Office building. Owners Ross and Brooke hope that guests coming to stay with them feel comfortable and at home, and if a patron would like, they are willing to recommend different attractions and activities that they can do in the surrounding area. The business is open year-round, with a popular time being noted previously to be in the fall. Since 1984 the establishment has been operating as a bed and breakfast, with the current owners having bought it in 2017. Each of the homes that are featured on the property was built in the 1800s and was used for a variety of different purposes.
Located in Staunton, Virginia, Frederick House has six buildings at the business, four of which can be reserved. Each of the homes available to visitors is known as either the Bower, Patrick, Womack, or Young House. In total, there are twenty rooms spread out between the homes. Some of the features of the Patrick House are that there are six rooms and a private driveway that six cars can park on. Around eight guests staying at this home can gather outside on the front porch, with a few seats located there. The Young House has four rooms and a front porch, similar to the Patrick. Unlike the other buildings on the property, each of the three rooms in the Bowers House takes up its own floor. An additional feature of the room is a private balcony with an individual entrance. Seven rooms are in the Womack house, and this home has the only common room. A gathering table and chairs are some of the amenities of the common room. A shared amenity between the buildings is that each room has its own private bathroom. Owners Ross Williams and Brooke Springsted use the Kolcheran House as their own private residence, and the last building on the property is the main office, where breakfast and check-in occur. Frederick House is located in downtown Staunton on two acres of land. Much of the land is grass with sidewalks going between the homes.
While staying at the Frederick House, breakfast is provided complimentary during the patron’s stay. All of the preparation for breakfast occurs on the property, with each of the meals being homemade. Different types of food are served during breakfast, with the menu being found on the back of the drinking mug. Generally, each meal comes with homemade sweet bread and fresh fruit. According to the owner of the business, their strata option has been the most regular food ordered. The menu does allow for some dietary needs to be met, such as gluten-free and vegan options. It is advised that guests inform the owner of their dietary restrictions and needs as soon as possible.
Some of the policies that owners Ross and Brooke have put in place are, generally, no pets are allowed in any of the non-designated rooms, with the exception of service support animals. Smoking is not allowed in any of the houses, and there are designated areas for patrons to smoke. It is advised that guests begin to quiet down around the time of 10:00 pm.
Ross and Brooke strive to help each of their visitors feel at home and that they are welcome and comfortable. Interactions between the guests and the owners are mostly up to the patron's discretion. Ross and Brooke interact with patrons during check-in and as well during breakfast to ensure that the visitor's stay is going well. They make themselves available to patrons at all hours of the day, and they ask that visitors be cognizant of their “small staff” as they try to accommodate the needs of possibly twenty rooms. A previous visitor of the Frederick House said that the “room was great, attractively decorated, spotless, and just the right size. The home had Wi-Fi and excellent tv reception, and the bed was luxurious. The complimentary breakfast was thoroughly enjoyed, especially the freshly made bread and our host's advice about what to see and do in town.” Another patron commented, “the room was nice and clean, and the bed was comfortable. The host was kind, the breakfast was delicious, and it was appreciated that many of the attractions were within walking distance. Great advice was given by the host for restaurants in the area.”
Seasons of operations for the Frederick House are year-round. No events are hosted by the staff. However, guests are allowed to host weddings and family reunions on the property. All ages are welcome to the homes, and it has been noted by the owner that “fall foliage” is generally when the business is the busiest. One aspect that is unique about the establishment is that it hosts a cat rescue operation.
Close to the area of the Fredrick House, patrons can visit the different attractions in the city of Staunton. Some of the most commonly recommended attractions recommended by the owner are the Shakespeare Theatre, Frontier Culture Museum, wineries, breweries, and Poly Face Farms. Additionally, if a guest would like to go out to eat, there is Yelping Dogs which serves gourmet grilled cheese and wine, and another is Aioli, which serves Mediterranean food. Zynodoa is a restaurant that gets all its ingredients locally. Uniquely, Taste of India serves authentic food from India and will bring in chefs from the country.
The various houses on the property of the Frederick House were built during the 1800s, with each home being named after either its constructor or a previous owner. Womack House was named after Doctor Womack, who used the home as a doctor's office, and it was constructed in the 1840s. William J. Patrick built the Patrick House in the 1840s, and the house was later named after him. Bower house was built in the 1880s and was previously used as a boarding home. Young House is the oldest of the homes being built by the Youngs in the 1810s, and it was later named after them.
Since 1984 the Frederick House has been a part of the bed and breakfast industry, with current owners Ross and Brooke taking over the bed and breakfast in 2017 after they were looking for a business to own and run. Previously Ross and Brooke had an interest in running a bed and breakfast, and when they found the Frederick House, they decided to purchase it. They moved from Austin, Texas, to run the property, and according to Ross, one of his favorite parts about being the owner of a bed and breakfast is “getting a chance to talk to guests and help them find activities to do during their stay.”
When Ross and Brooke took over ownership from the previous owners, the updates that they made dealt with fixing and upgrading the mechanical systems of the home. To keep the antique nature of the home, they did not put elevators in any of the three-story buildings. In the future, they plan to make the Kochran home available to guests, as it currently does not offer any accommodations, and update some of the rooms in the other houses.
28 North New Street
Staunton, Virginia 24401
United States
Victorian
Ross Williams & Brooke Stringsted
Joe and Eddie Harmon
