The 1891 Inn sits in the heart of Albemarle, North Carolina. It is a Victorian-style bed and breakfast that has been in operation since 2019. As the name suggests, the house was built in 1891 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A unique thing the bed and breakfast is perhaps most known for is its open-menu-style breakfast guests can enjoy each morning. For those wishing to explore nature or the town nearby, the inn is centrally located to several shops and restaurants as well as a handful of lakes and mountains.
The 1891 Inn is a Victorian-style house located just a few blocks away from downtown Albemarle, North Carolina. Trees, ferns, and brick pathing complement the inn's property while also making up the fence surrounding the majority of the inn. The building is white, and it is accented by red brick on the front of its porch and two red brick chimneys up on top. The porch also contains white fencing and columns reminiscent of the inn's Victorian style.
The 1891 Inn has two rooms that it generally offers guests, both of which can accommodate up to two people. These accommodations—and the rest of the property—have been refurbished and restored to a quality fitting of its 21st-century revival. These two rooms are known as the Tillery Room and the Badin Room, named after two nearby prominent lakes: Lake Tillery and Badin Lake. The two rooms share a few standard amenities, such as king-sized beds, flat-screen TVs, private bathrooms, and coffeemakers. Additionally, they also each boast an in-room fireplace.
The Tillery Room is described as having a "peaceful view" of the Magnolia and Dogwood trees in the front yard, whereas the Badin Room sports a porcelain-tiled shower with glass doors. In the case of larger groups, a third room called the Maralise Room can be reserved in conjunction with either the Tillery Room or the Badin Room. The Maralise Room offers the same features as the other two rooms at the 1891 Inn, and it is named after the Maralise Hotel.
The breakfasts at the 1891 Inn are of particular note. When guests arrive, they are treated to an appetizer that same night before going to bed. They have the opportunity to discuss breakfast options with innkeeper Ron Perrine and are free to choose virtually any kind of breakfast food that they want. The breakfasts are served at 8:30 AM, and the ingredients come from local vendors. Ron describes the quality of the food as being "directly from the table."
Due to the fact that the 1891 Inn is only a few blocks away from downtown Albemarle, it is relatively convenient for guests to walk to town and browse the various stores and restaurants of the area. Also, there is a small boutique on the property where guests can purchase t-shirts, hats, soaps, and other souvenirs with their logo and brand. The bed and breakfast is open year-round, though the fall usually is their busiest season due to a combination of moderate weather and a wide range of outdoor activities.
The peaceful environment of the 1891 Inn is prone to attract more laid-back demographics. Typically speaking, the guests who come to the bed and breakfast are retired people looking for a relaxing getaway. The inn is positioned in a quiet part of Albemarle while at the same time being only a few minutes walk from downtown.
Albemarle, North Carolina, has a rich history, though Ron Perrine—the owner of the 1891 Inn—states that "there aren't enough people in the area just yet to make it boom like it once did." Due to the flexible nature of the 1891 Inn, guests are free to choose whether they would rather spend their time relaxing on the property or finding various activities to do in the area.
The 1891 Inn strives to be open and accommodating to its guests, hoping specifically to give visitors a professional and clean experience. Despite the short time that the inn has in operation, its reviews reflect positive attitudes on almost all aspects of the visitors' stays. One guest said, "Very quiet and lovely B&B. The owners are friendly and interesting folks." Another stated, "breakfast was so good. Fruit, juice, quiche, toast points, muffins. Beautiful house in a historic district of a once-thriving mill-town economy."
The 1891 Inn has been known to host a handful of weddings, and the property is always open for guests to explore. Guests staying there are also free to roam the house.
The bed and breakfast is close to many outdoor activities. For example, the Morrow Mountain State Park lies just ten minutes from the property. The inn also sits between a handful of different lakes—most notably Lake Tillery and Badin Lake. In addition to the potential for water activities, the area has several mountains. People often go hiking, swimming, biking, fishing, or kayaking in the nearby nature of North Carolina. Upon request, the innkeepers of the 1891 Inn will pack a special picnic lunch for those guests going on such an excursion.
In the year 1891, the house that would eventually be known as the 1891 Inn was constructed in Albemarle, North Carolina. At that time, it was called the Brown-Parker house. Due to the authentic Victorian style of the home and its remarkable age and impact on the town, the 1891 Inn was eventually listed on the National Register of Historic Places (though under the name of Brown-Parker house).
The home has been under common realty ownership for over a century. It wasn't until 2019 that the property was officially converted into a bed and breakfast. Ron Perrine is the innkeeper at the 1891 Inn, and he co-manages the property with Charity Barbee. He talks about how the lodging industry had always interested him despite having just reached his years of retirement. Both him and Charity had stayed in multiple bed and breakfasts across the United States, and they felt adequately equipped to manage their own.
In March of 2019, the 1891 Inn opened as a bed and breakfast, marking the first inn of that nature in Albemarle, North Carolina. The history of Albemarle spans just as long as the 1891 Inn. It used to be an old textile town with a decent amount of notoriety. Over the years, it became rundown and mostly empty. However, in the past decade or so, the city has begun to build itself up again.
427 Pee Dee Avenue
Albemarle, North Carolina 28001
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Ron Perrine
