Mulberry Manor Bed and Breakfast

In Sweetwater, Texas, potential guests looking for places to stay can find the Mulberry Manor Bed and Breakfast. The bed and breakfast has significant history regarding both the building itself and the town that it's located in, yet it was only recently that the property opened to the public. On less than an acre of land, this two-story building can cater up to four different stays at a time. The Mulberry Manor Bed and Breakfast is located in the neighborhoods of Sweetwater, which is also next to the Sweetwater Wind Farm, one of the largest wind turbine farms in the world.

About

The Mulberry Manor Bed and Breakfast offers four different rooms to the public for a temporary stay at all times of the year. Each room comes with high-speed internet, a hairdryer, television, cups and glassware, housekeeping, and a complimentary breakfast. One room worthy of mention would be The Trammell Suite, which used to be a ballroom before the owners renovated the building. This room offers a king-sized bed—instead of a queen-sized bed as is in the other three rooms—and has an outdoor space attached to it. The Trammell Suite includes a microwave oven and a mini-refrigerator, as well as the two-course breakfast included with the stay.

Mark, one of the owners, is the chef of the property and is usually the one that cooks breakfast. Kim, the other owner, has said that they often make quiche for breakfast, but they don't have a set menu, so they refer to the guests to clarify any food allergies and dietary needs. This way, they are able to make dishes based off of their input.

Branching out from the manor, the town of Sweetwater offers several attractions in the area, including the Sweetwater Wind Farm and the W.A.S.P. Museum. The owner mentions that The Sweetwater Wind Farm is one of the largest wind turbine farms in the world, and is only a 10-minute drive away from the property. The W.A.S.P. Museum, which stands for Women Airforce Service Pilots, is a museum that teaches the history of 28 civilian women who became pilots and served in World War II.

The owners also recommend several restaurants in the area, such as La Cocina Mexicana, Skeet's Texas Grill, and Big Boys Barbeque, which can all be reached within a 5-minute drive. Depending on what time of year guests show up at, there are a number of different local events that take place that may pique interest, among these being the Rattlesnake Round-Up. During the month of March, the city will host the round-up in the Nolan County Coliseum, where guests can be entertained by the locals and their snake handling abilities.

Culture

The owners say that the goal of the Mulberry Manor Bed and Breakfast is to provide a stay that is comfortable yet elegant. The interior of the building is decorated with antiques that come from the history of the very town that the property is located on. One previous guest to the Mulberry Manor Bed and Breakfast described the home like this: "The home itself is something out of a Southern Living magazine, amazing detail and exquisite furnishings." Inside the bed and breakfast, guests will likely travel through the atrium on the ground floor, which has a pyramid-shaped glass ceiling that allows natural sunlight to flow into the building.

The demographic of customers that usually stay at The Mulberry Manor Bed and Breakfast is young adults to older couples. That being said, the owner has no objections to having a younger crowd stay at the manor. The town has many historic buildings that have been around since it was founded by a man named Thomas Trammell. There are also a number of parks nearby that guests can go to, such as Fraley Park and Jones Park. The property is located in a suburban-like area where many of the neighbors are permanent residents. The location of The Mulberry Manor is near the middle of town, meaning it is within a short drive from many of the restaurants and shopping areas.

One place that the owner has pointed out that could be of interest to the guests staying on the property is The Lumberyard Roscoe Texas, where visitors can take part in some of the cultural aspects of entertainment that Sweetwater, Texas has to offer. At The Lumberyard, some of the activities that guests can learn include popular local singing and dancing, playing horseshoes, and "redneck golf." The spring and fall seasons have been noted for being very active times for guests to make reservations at The Mulberry Manor Bed and Breakfast, as that is when most of the local festivities take place; however, potential visitors are able to book any time of the year that they would like.

History

The building that houses The Mulberry Manor Bed and Breakfast dates back to the early 1910s. It was built by a young architect named John Young—who is the father of the actress Loreta Young—for a rancher and banker named Thomas Trammell. Thomas Trammell is well known by the locals as the "Father of Sweetwater." Trammell is credited as the one who helped bring railroads to Sweetwater and knew of John Young for his design of the Santa Fe Railway.

Following the death of Thomas Trammell, the manor was being used less often, so the city leased the building from his family and used it as a hospital from 1923 - 1936, which operated as the only hospital at the time. After that, and for many years, the building was used as a private home and apartments until 1991. In the early 1990s, a couple named Raymond and Beverly Stone bought the property and took time to fix it up, then opened it as The Mulberry Manor Bed and Breakfast. It lasted for several years but eventually closed in the late 1990s, becoming a private home for its residence.

Finally, the property was purchased by the current owners of The Mulberry Manor Bed and Breakfast, Mark and Kim Reaves, in October of 2018, who restored the house back to a bed and breakfast, keeping the original name that was first used in the 90s. Mark and Kim decided to reopen the property as a bed and breakfast once again because they both loved to travel. Their previous line of work was in telecommunications, and they both were "getting tired" of that line of work. That's when they made the purchase in 2018, restored the home, and opened it to the public in 2019.