The Rosemont Manor was originally built in 1811 as a wedding gift from a groom to his new bride, as requested by the groom's father-in-law. The premises started off as one building that acted as a house for various families. As years passed on, more buildings were built on the property. The ownership of the establishment passed from family to family until it came to the current owners, William and Barbara Genda. Though the Rosemont Manor functions as a bed and breakfast, there are multiple venues where events are held. Weddings occur often on the property, and guests who come for the weddings often stay in the Manor House, which is the largest building on the grounds.
The Rosemont Manor acreage is made up of different buildings, some of which are venues while the rest are guesthouses. The main guesthouse, called the Manor House, has eleven bedrooms available for visitors to stay in. The most popular of those bedrooms is the Bird Study. The Bird Study has French doors that open up to the main balcony that overlooks the grounds. It is also a more popular unit because it is in the middle of the price range.
There are a total of three guesthouses at the Rosemont Manor, each with a different layout and name. The first one, which is called the CIA Guest House, has four to five bedrooms, along with five and a half bathrooms. The guesthouse has a dining room, kitchen, living room, and hardwood floors. The second guesthouse, the Rutherford B. Hayes Guest House sleeps 16-18 people. It has six to seven bedrooms, six bathrooms, a washer and dryer, and an Amish-built table. Also available to those who stay at the Rutherford B. Hayes Guest House are a back porch, a side porch, a front porch with a swing, a grill, a picnic table, and a brick fire ring. The William McKinley Guest House is the last of the three guesthouses and fits 14-16 people. With a red roof, white exterior, and black window shutters, the William McKinley Guest House has up to five bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Amenities provided for those who are staying at the Rosemont Manor include snacks, bottled water, a private bathroom for each bedroom, makeup removal towels, soaps, and other products, bathrobes, hairdryers, ironing boards, luggage racks, and more. Each building on the property is air-conditioned and has Wi-Fi available. Also offered are spa services, which must be arranged and booked in advance. One of these spa services is an off-site massage therapist who visits the establishment. Activities such as books, playing cards, and coffee are provided in the main areas that guests can visit like the lounge and foyer. Also available to patrons is a breakfast that consists of a fruit cup, a hot meal that is either sweet or savory, and coffee or juices. Popular breakfast items are waffles, vegetable frittatas, scrambled eggs, and sausages. Breakfast is at 9:00 a.m. every morning. Gluten-free or vegetarian meals are an option for those who request them in advance.
Also at the Rosemont Manor are two specific venues; the Barn and the Carriage House. The Barn is the more popular of the two and was built more recently. The Barn has chandeliers, along with other things that guests may need to hold events. The Carriage House is smaller and was built earlier on than the Barn. Still, the Carriage House is used as a venue to house various events.
With a total of 14 units, Rosemont Manor can fit a large number of occupants at a time. Outside of the main house and cottages are the venues, a Grand Portico, patios, lawns, a gazebo, and trees. The Grand Portico is a large porch that can fit around 100 people for weddings. The grounds are abundant with trees. The patio is located next to the Carriage House, while the gazebo is located at the Manor House. The property expands to approximately 60 acres, though when the premises was originally bought in 1811, it had 5,000 acres.
Outside of the property are various things for visitors to participate in. In the area, there are breweries and wineries, some of which are well established while others are newer. The Berryville Grille is a restaurant that Susan, a worker at the Rosemont Manor, suggests. The Berryville Grille is privately owned and serves various dishes. In the nearby city of Winchester is the pedestrian mall, which has a large collection of restaurants. Eating options range from casual to more formal dining. Also near the Rosemont Manor are multiple Civil War Sites, along with Harford's Ferry.
At the Rosemont Manor, workers try to make their guests comfortable. Susan, a worker on the property, says that "No two days are alike." She and the other workers want their visitors to feel happy, comfortable, and relaxed during their stay. In an attempt to help their patrons feel this way, workers at the Rosemont Manor check in on their guests when they are around the property, but they try not to interrupt them while they are in their rooms. Upon arrival, guests are welcomed by an employee and given a brief explanation of important things to know. They are also given a welcome packet with information on it.
Because the Rosemont Manor is relatively secluded, multiple people have commented on how quiet the property is. According to Susan, some guests say that they feel as if they are "back in time" due to the fact that the manor is not very modernly decorated. Others have complimented the tea, the wedding venues, and the employees. One particular patron remarked, "Beautiful grounds and a lot of walking space in the shade. Multiple guesthouses and cottages on the property for families or couples' privacy." They continued to mention how "they provide an up-to-date list of dining options that are open along with maps." They also commented on the "nice little welcome basket of prepackaged charcuterie and single bottles of wine."
At the Rosemont Manor, weddings are often held, specifically in the month of October. Weddings on the premises are booked from eight weeks to a year and a half in advance with the wedding planners that work at the Rosemont Manor. There are multiple venues for weddings, including the Carriage House and the Barn. Most wedding ceremonies are held outdoors in the morning or late afternoon. Guests visiting for a wedding often stay in the Manor House, which has eleven bedrooms.
The Barn venue is a separate, Amish-built building. There are chandeliers in the Barn, along with other necessities for the events that take place there.
Tea parties are held in the dining room of the main house. The tea is catered, and there are two blends made specifically for the establishment called the Rosemont Blend and the Bird Blend. The tea parties are open to the public or private but are by reservation only.
During the winter season, the Manor House is decorated for Christmas, along with the other buildings on the property. At the Manor House, the Christmas decorations are generally of better quality. Because of this, visitors and locals can sign up to tour the Manor House to see the Christmas decorations. Local charities are often in charge of running the tours.
The main policy at the Rosemont Manor is the twelve-and-older policy, which states that those who stay at the property have to be at least twelve years old. Certified service animals are allowed to stay at the establishment. Because of the weddings that take place, there is no specific quiet time or curfew for the patrons to follow.
First built in 1811, the Rosemont Manor has been used for weddings since the very beginning. When it was originally, built it acted as a wedding gift from a husband to his new wife. The original owner, George Horton Harris, built it at his father-in-law's request and named it Rosemont. The Harris family lived on the grounds until 1854 when they moved to the East Coast.
When the Tysons moved into the establishment, they added the Grand Portico on the east side of the manor house. Many events were held at the Grand Portico, some of which were dinners or dances. The Tysons owned the business for 50 years.
In 1864 a war broke out in the area. The Battle of Berryville took place on the Rosemont Manor property during the war, and other small skirmishes occurred throughout the area. During the Battle of Berryville, Northern troops were lined up on both sides of the manor. Because of the battle that took place, Civil War relics have been found on the grounds.
In the 1910s it was owned by the Harriman family. While they owned it, they did many renovations to the property such as nearly doubling the size of the floor, adding indoor plumbing, and making other small changes. The Harrimans sold the Rosemont Manor to William and Anne Smith in 1917. The Smiths lived on the premises until the late 1920s when they sold it to the Byrd family in 1929. Harry F. Byrd was the head of the household and was also a U.S. Senator. As a result, many political meetings were held on the property. Mr. Byrd lived at the Rosemont Manor until his death in 1966.
The Rosemont Manor stayed in the Byrd family until 1997 when the establishment was purchased by Randy and Sue Jones, who came from Northern Virginia. They did extensive restorations to the property and continued the legacy of hosting politicians, fundraisers, and community leaders.
In 2009, the premises was purchased by William and Barbara Genda, who came from Clarke County. They purchased the building to prevent it from being lost to development. Renovations were completed in one year, and the Rosemont Manor began to function as a bed and breakfast, as well as a place that hosts events at their provided venues. Since then, around 500 weddings have taken place at the Rosemont Manor with an average of 24 weddings every October.
When William and Barbara Genda first came to the property, they were visiting with their children. At the time, they had nine biological children and planned to adopt three more. Out of those nine children, there was only one daughter. During their stay, the daughter looked at the property and said to her father that it could be a beautiful place to get married. William Genda decided to purchase the property and turn it into a venue. The first wedding took place in January of 2011.
When William and Barbara Genda bought the establishment, they made many renovations to make it more accommodating for its guests. They added bathrooms to every bedroom, along with multiple restrooms in the main areas. They put in air conditioning, completely refurbished the interior of the house, furnished the house, modified the Carriage House so it was ready to be a reception hall, added patios, and built the Barn. They also added new lighting and decorated the dining room. Future plans for the premises include building a chapel and improving the quality of the rooms and other units.
16 Rosemont Manor Lane
Berryville, Virginia 22611
United States
Bed and Breakfast
William and Barbara Genda
Karrie Bird Senior, The Harriman Family
