The McNeill Stone Mansion Bed and Breakfast is located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and was constructed in the year 1908. After being abandoned for about ten years, the property was purchased by the current owner, Virginia, and her late husband, Gary. They wanted to purchase a property with the purpose of owning a bed and breakfast, and they felt that this building would be the best one for them. With much work on their part, they made the property what it is today: an old-fashioned bed and breakfast with many modern amenities. There are four rooms available for all of those who desire to stay with them, as well as off-street parking, a yard, and terraces. Breakfast is provided complimentary to a guest's stay, along with beverages and snacks. Virginia invites all of her guests to come "relax, refresh, and rekindle [their] spirit[s]."
McNeill Stone Mansion Bed and Breakfast is located in Oskaloosa in the state of Iowa. The bed and breakfast has four rooms available, mainly the Royal Room, the Far East Room, the McNeill Suite, and the Penthouse Suite. The first two rooms each have queen-sized beds, private bathrooms, and fireplaces. The second two rooms each have the same amenities, but the McNeill Suite also has a whirlpool tub and a king-size bed, and the Penthouse Suite has a sitting area, a dining area, and another dorm area. All rooms have central air and heat, cable TV and VCR/DVD, Wi-Fi, and antique furnishings. Guests rent each of the rooms for different reasons, but many have chosen the Penthouse suite over the others due to the unit's size. Other amenities offered to the visitors of the property are fresh flowers, bathroom robes, and a choice of pillow type.
Some of the other areas in the building are the living room, a library, a solarium, and a dining room. Patrons are free to use any of these rooms at their leisure. There is also a second-floor sitting area for those looking for a place to try and relax, or a front and rear terrace that can be used for the same purpose. The back terrace is covered in hopes of providing some shade, and there is an abundance of greenery with a fountain out in the back. The fountain is there strictly for its style, never running any water through it. There is a two-seater swing on the front terrace with a covering and view of the flowers that run throughout the grounds of the property. Big trees and a big yard are what make up the majority of the outside.
The inside of the property can be described as unique or old-fashioned. The house is over 100 years old, offering the feeling of a Victorian-age home. The furniture looks antique, but there are many modern conveniences available inside the building. Many people have chosen to stay at McNeill Stone Mansion Bed and Breakfast because of the style of the building. Much of the surrounding neighborhood has buildings similar to the bed and breakfast, including the courthouse in the area.
Along with a visitor's stay, there is a complimentary breakfast served every day. The breakfast changes depending on whether any guests have dietary restrictions, but it will generally contain some basic foods. The breakfast usually has some sort of fruit in the shape of a fruit bowl, baked or poached apples or pears. Then there is often an egg-based dish such as French toast or waffles and some type of meat. Some form of bread is generally served next; these foods include sweet rolls or scones. There are also three juice types, coffee, and tea, provided. One of the most popular dishes that the owner makes is a caramel pecan roll that people often request. Virginia often makes breakfast on her own, but occasionally one of her good friends helps her out. Full or mini-full breakfasts are served in the dining room, the solarium, or even on the terrace when weather permits. Complimentary beverages and ice are then available to those looking for them, and a complimentary dessert is served for all patrons on the property in the evening.
The property of McNeill Stone Mansion Bed and Breakfast has the specific purpose of serving those who are looking for a place to stay. This means that other than giving Christmas tours, there are no other events that the property hosts or offers. The Christmas tours, however, can be very unique for some people in Iowa. Many visitors come around Christmas time to see the old-fashioned home and take in its unique architecture with its Christmas decorations. Virginia, the owner of the bed and breakfast, believes that the house's style and the way it was built is something truly unique about the property. She says that the building is "a step back in time but with modern convenience." Though the bed and breakfast's function is clear in the business' name, guests come to the property for many different reasons. Some come to celebrate anniversaries or birthdays, and others come for a variety of city celebrations. The owner strives to celebrate in little ways with her patrons. She says that she likes knowing why they are in the area in hopes that she will be able to help them receive the experience that they are hoping to have.
Those staying are the property are asked to follow some important policies that have been put into place in hopes that everyone will then be able to have an enjoyable and memorable experience. Some of the property's most important policies that visitors are expected to follow include that pets aren't allowed on the property, no smoking is allowed on the property, and children are not catered to. Virginia does enjoy dogs, she even has one of her own, but because she primarily cleans and takes care of the property, she feels that it would be difficult for her to keep the property up to her standards if her guests were allowed to bring their various pets. Smoking isn't permitted in hopes of keeping the air clean and helping those who struggle with hard breathing. Lastly, the property specifically caters to adults, so children simply don't have services available at the property.
Some goals that Virginia has in regards to the property and business include that she will continue to fill their rooms every week. She hopes that those visiting will feel at home when they come to her establishment and that they will enjoy taking a step back in time with the architecture. She hopes that her hospitality will help them to feel that way, as she strives to help all of her visitors whenever they are looking for assistance. She strives to talk to those staying with her whenever she can, and if she feels like they would appreciate and feel comfortable talking to her. Virginia says that if there was a motto for the property, it would be, "relax, refresh, and rekindle your spirit." She says that this would be the case because "We all need to recharge our batteries once in a while."
Virginia likes to talk about the property and the area while she eats breakfast with her guests. There are many things to do in the area, including fishing, hiking, and biking. Virginia says that some of the more popular things to go to in the area include the courthouse, the various parks in the area, and Knoxville Raceway. The courthouse can be popular among tourists in the area because the architecture can be considered very old-fashioned and unique. The parks in the area mainly consist of large amounts of grass and trees, one of the nearest of these parks being just a few minutes away from the establishment, this one being called Edmundson Park. Lastly, the Knoxville Raceway can be considered an iconic spot for many who enjoy watching the races that take place throughout the year.
Along with things to do in the area, there are also many places that Virginia recommends her tenants visit when they are looking for a place to eat. The first place that she would recommend is the Wood Iron Grille. Here, visitors can find many traditional grilled foods common in America. The second place that she recommends is Tasos' Steak House, which obviously contains many types of steaks that patrons can choose from for their meal. The third location she mentions for those who are hungry is Julie's Café, which is similar to Wood Iron Grille in its selection of menu items. There are also many other places that Virginia enjoys eating at and would recommend to guests upon their request.
Virginia runs the entire property on her own besides cutting the lawn. She has the property open all throughout the year, usually having her busiest season around early spring to late fall. People of all ages come to the property, besides those who are very young, due to the older style of the property and catering of the business. The majority of patrons tend to be around their 30s-70s. There is off-street parking available for all those who stay in the home and a refrigerator with some beverages and a table with some snacks for visitors to have if they would like. Many of Virginia's guests are repeat guests, coming even multiple times during the year to be with their new innkeeper friend. Even with new hotels in her area, Virginia has kept her business growing.
Many of Virginia's patrons have commented on what they enjoy about her property, leaving complimentary reviews about her work style and character, leaving the property with a very high star rating. One of these visitors wrote in a review that "The place was beautiful. The hostess was very knowledgeable of the area and the history of the house and was fun to talk to." Another patron to the property said, "Virginia is a great hostess and such a sweetheart. The mansion has very elegant taste and is kept very clean. Each room has its own history. There is also great food!" Virginia hopes that her guests will continue enjoying these aspects of the property and service and that they will come again and stay with her at her bed and breakfast.
The McNeill Stone Mansion Bed and Breakfast was constructed in 1908. It was one of the largest buildings built in the area when it was first built. Wilbur McNeill, the person whom the property is named after, served in the military until he was wounded and persuaded to retire. Mr. McNeill built the home with many of the modern conveniences at the time for his new bride and himself.
Since its time used by Mr. McNeil, the property was mainly used as a place of residence until about 1990, when it was left relatively abandoned. The current owner, Virginia, and her late husband, Gary, bought the property and restored it to what it is today. McNeill Stone Mansion Bed and Breakfast is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has won many awards due to its history.
Virginia has been in the hospitality and lodging industry since the year 2003. She and her husband bought the property in 1998, worked on updating and changing it, and then opened the building up for visitors, offering them two rooms available after five years of owning the property. They continued working on the building by renovating and updating it with the goal of making it more modern while keeping the historic infrastructure. It took about seven years to get all of the rooms ready for everyone to use, bringing the home where it is today.
The owners restored the building to what it is today. Virginia will often show her guests pictures of what the property was before and tell them about its history. Before they bought the property, nobody had been living in it for about ten years. It was in need of much care. Virginia says that she and her husband were "intimate with every inch [of the property], inside and out." She has extensive knowledge of the property, including a large amount of its history. It was originally built to be sound and fireproof, so there are brick walls and concrete floors under the hardwood. Because of this, it was difficult for Virginia and her husband to renovate the building, but they were eventually able to do so. Virginia entered the lodging industry with her husband, knowing that it could be a great place for a bed and breakfast. They figured that the building would be a good draw for people to come and experience, and they felt that the area would help them to feel successful with people visiting them.
Virginia says that her favorite part about her job is the people she works with. She feels that she learns so much from everybody because of all of the perspectives and experiences that all of her visitors bring to them. She loves hearing new and exciting stories from her guests. She hopes to continue making friends with her guests and that they will continue to come back to her property.
1282 C Avenue E
Oskaloosa, Iowa
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Virginia
