Sunday, June 15, 2008

Batteaux Festival


Before you can set sail you have to sink the batteau

Lynchburg has been a city that has re-invented itself several times over the past couple hundred years. In the late 1700’s through the mid 1800’s tobacco was king making Lynchburg was a very prosperous town. After the fields became unusable (they didn’t know about crop rotation) Lynchburg became the largest shoe manufacturer east of the Mississippi. For a period of time during the teens and 1920’s Lynchburg made/assembled automobiles. Today education and nuclear research are major industries, but going back in time to when tobacco was king there needed to be a means of transporting tobacco to the market in Richmond.

Tobacco and other cargo was transported from Lynchburg to Richmond on the James River in sleek flat bottom boats called batteaux. The boats are made of white oak, and can carry about 8,000 pounds of cargo. A long pole is used to push the batteau downstream and rudders is in the front and rear to help steer the batteau. Before the batteau is launched for this trip it must first be sunk. The water expands the wood and the expanded wood makes the boat water tight by sealing all the cracks. After being submerged for a week or so water is bailed out and the interior dried out and the journey begins. During the next seven days an armada of batteaux will make their way down the James River stopping overnight in towns along the way.

Yesterday the re-enactors took to the water in period garb in reproductions of the batteaus that once were a very important part of our history. This festival is held every year in June and is well worth the trip to downtown to send off the dozen plus batteaux, including one batteau with an all woman crew from Charlottesville. Over the next week the batteaux will retrace the journey stopping in towns along the way until they reach their final destination, in Richmond. This year's batteaux festival was the 23rd. Don't miss next years festival, book your room today at The Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Happy Earth Day--April 22, 2008

When Mike and Kathy Bedsworth purchased the historic Watts House (The Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast) in 2003 they embarked on a restoration project that has led them into a career as innkeepers and has distinguished them as the only green lodging facility in Lynchburg. Buying and restoring a historic home is something they always wanted to do, operating a green bed and breakfast just happened.

After four plus years of restoration the Watts home was starting to regain the glamour and grandeur of years past and Mike and Kathy decided they needed to find a way to share their home with locals and visitors, thereby opening the Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast. During the restoration process everything they did to the house was done with the idea of saving natural resources. When closets were added, they searched architectural salvage yards to find matching doors. When porch repairs were required they used products made from recycled materials for the repairs. Recycled antique glass was used to replace many of the broken windows. When it came to adding air conditioning they refused to allow duct chases to be built around the ceilings so they ended up with a 5 zone system that allows them to turn off the air conditioning in part of the house that are not in use. The use of recycled materials or energy savings wasn’t initially done with the idea of saving the earth; it was more a matter of preserving the feel and look of the house. “Why use new materials that don’t match the original materials when you can buy antique doors, hardware, glass, heat grates/vents, etc. and preserve the look and feel of the house,” explained Mike Bedsworth.

After the first winter they realized that other items needed to be done to save energy as their heating bills rivaled the federal government’s national debt figures. They replaced their antiquated steam boiler system with a new high-efficiency water boiler which not only heats the home using the original radiators with valves added to regulate the flow of water thereby regulating the temperature in each room, it also provides their domestic hot water. Attic insulation was added and even though they weren’t able to replace their windows with energy efficient windows because they are in a historic district they were able to add replacement windows to the interior side of the windows thus preserving the historic exterior appearance.

When the kitchen was remodeled, they purchased only energy star appliances and likewise the washer and dryer use less water and energy to operate. All the toilets were replaced. Using the home as a bed and breakfast it was important that the 1.6 gallon toilets worked properly. Having to flush two or three times negates the water savings so the most important criteria they used in purchasing toilets was flushability.

After they opened they realized they met the requirements set forth by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to be certified as a green lodging facility so they applied and were given this designation. As Kathy Bedsworth says, “This is good news and bad news. The good news is we are the only green lodging facility in Lynchburg and the bad news is we are the ONLY green lodging facility in Lynchburg. I suspect that next year when we celebrate Earth Day there will be more green lodging facilities in Lynchburg.”

While everyone can implement one or two things to become a little greener, Mike and Kathy have plans to do even more. They hope to start recycling rain water for irrigation purposes, installing geo-thermal heating and cooling systems when they restore the carriage house, build an organic garden and produce fruits and vegetables for their guests and they will continue to use recycled or earth friendly products on their next project.

To celebrate Earth Day, they are opening their house for tour on 22 April 2008 from 10-4 to allow visitors to see that being green has not altered the beauty or architecture of the Watts House. While there is more that could be done to conserve energy, living in a historic district puts some limitations on what you can and can’t do. Basically you can’t do anything to the property that alters the exterior appearance of the property, but they will continue to make improvements that will continue to save our natural resources. In addition, they are preparing vacation packages for locals that don’t want to spend a fortune on gas for their summer vacation and for visitors to Lynchburg. Imagine spending 3-5 active days in Lynchburg and having to use less than a tank of gas while participating in at least a dozen different eco-friendly and historic/educational activities.


Below is a partial list of green items they are currently doing:

We added a 5-zone central air conditioning system to save energy by not cooling sections of the house that are not being used.

We added flow controls on radiators to regulate temperature in each room.

We installed low flow shower heads to save water.

We installed high efficiency low flow toilets to save water.

We recycle glass, plastic, paper, metal, aluminum, and cardboard to save space in our land fill.

We compost yard and kitchen waste to use compost in our garden.

When we need to replace a light bulb we replace it with a high efficiency compact florescent light bulb to save electricity and fossil fuels.

When practical we purchase locally grown foods to save gas/diesel fuels.

We offer our guests optional laundry/linen service, i.e., washing sheets and towels every third day of a multi-night stay to save water and energy.

We insulated attics to save natural gas and electricity.

We installed energy efficient windows where possible to save on gas and electricity.

We installed solar shades on windows to reflect the heat during the summer months to save on electricity.

We purchased recycled/used building products for the restoration saving natural resources and space in land fills.

We purchased only Energy Star appliances to save electricity.

We purchased an energy efficient washer and dryer to save electricity and water.

We minimize the use of bleach and chlorinated chemicals to protect the environment.

We re-fill reusable shampoo bottles to save space in the land fill.

We use dishware and glassware to minimize use of disposables to save space in the land fill.

We use electronic correspondence and forms to conserve trees/paper.

We purchase durable equipment and furniture to preserve our natural resources.

Use reused building materials or those from sustainable sources

We use latex paint to eliminate harmful fumes and promote clean air.

We reuse and utilize proper recycling/disposal of thinners and solvents to protect the water table and save the land fill.

We practice preventative maintenance on all appliances, HVAC systems, plumbing systems and vehicles to make sure they operate at peak proficiency thus saving energy.

We use the least toxic materials to protect the environment.

We purchased a high efficiency dishwasher to save water and electricity.

We installed ceiling fans were possible to cut down on the use of air conditioning to save electricity.

When possible we use natural lighting to save electricity.

We purchased Energy Star computers and office equipment to save electricity.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

First day of spring

Today is the first day of spring and our saucer magnolia is in full bloom, the grass is starting to green up and before long the trees will once again be full of leaves. In a couple of weeks everything will be lush and green. Speaking of green, The Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast is, we are proud to say, the only Green Bed and Breakfast in Lynchburg.

We have just completed a complete overhaul of our website and added a calendar of events under our “Area Attractions” page. Besides our website update, quite a bit has happened since the first of the year. We received an award from the Lynchburg Historical Society for our four and a half year restoration of the interior, we were voted the best Bed and Breakfast in Lynchburg by the readers of Lynchburg Living, we were just featured in Showcase Magazine as a get-away destination and we are currently participating with the folks from Cotton and Hallmark Magazine in a national sweepstakes where the grand prize is…, you guessed it, a trip to The Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast!!! We were asked to participate because we are a “Green” Bed and Breakfast as well as a woman owned facility. For more information on these and other awards/recognition please check our website.

The Old City Courthouse was just reopened and houses the Lynchburg Museum and is a must see. Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson’s summer home, opens on 1 April and garden day at the Old City Cemetery is on the 24th of April. Not only is spring the time plants spring back to life, life around Lynchburg kicks into high gear. There are numerous events at the Academy of Fine Arts, all of the colleges and universities have lecture series open to the general public and in a couple of weeks you can take a class in tombstone repairs at the Old City Cemetery.

The Watts House, aka The Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast turns 130 years old this year. Built in 1878 by RT Watts this Italianate Mansion survived with many of its original architectural elements in place. The four original bath tubs are still in use. Two of the original bathroom sinks are here. Many of the original light fixtures, doors, moldings, mantels, mirrors, and bathroom cabinets are still here. To celebrate we are offering all of our rooms at $130.00 per night (taxes and gratuities are additional) when you stay a minimum of two consecutive nights Sunday-Thursday! We will guarantee you a room with a private bath but the room assignment will take place when you check in. You can choose any room you want that is available. PLEASE MENTION THIS PROMOTION WHEN YOU BOOK YOUR ROOM.

Interested in old homes? There is a tour of historic homes in the Daniels Hill section of Lynchburg on Sunday, 28 September from 1-4:30. Our home will be one of the homes on tour. This would be a great opportunity to see several homes in various stages of restoration. Call us now to make your reservation for that weekend. October 23-25th there will be a ghost walk tour in the Rivermont section of Lynchburg and this is always a lot of fun. Again, if you wish to be here for this call us for a reservation and if you book two nights during the week you get the promotional price (above).

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Why Lynchburg

Welcome to my Blog. I’m writing this to describe the joys and frustrations of restoring a historic home which we have now turned into a bed and breakfast. The first question I am often asked is why Lynchburg? Are you from here? Do you have family here? Did you go to school here? The answers to the last three questions are no, so why Lynchburg?

I obtained my real estate license in 1972 and have always enjoyed buildings and architecture, especially the character of older homes. From the late 1980’s I have always wanted to live in and restore an old home so our quest began. Everytime we traveled outside the Northern Virginia area we visited the older parts of cities and towns looking for the right house. We found beautiful homes, in cities that were declining or great properties out in the country, next to the land fill trailer park or worse so we continued to keep looking. Our quest for the right property took us as far north as Michigan south to Georgia. Finally one day while searching the net looking for homes 100+ years old we saw an interesting property in Lynchburg. We made arrangements to drive down and look at it, and while it had possibilities, it wasn’t quite right. That home was originally built for a family by the name of Watts who was in the hardware business in the late 1800’s While looking at this property we noticed that the City of Lynchburg was being revitalized so we decided that while that house wasn’t the right one, Lynchburg was on our list of possible places to relocate. A year went by and we kept searching for the right property until one day another Internet search located another old home in Lynchburg. We called a local Realtor and made arrangements to look at the house and immediately knew this was it. Ironically, this home was also originally built for the Watts family who was in the hardware business in the late 1800’s. Evidently both of the Watts brothers along with a fellow by the name of Jones established a chain of hardware stores in the Lynchburg area after the Civil War.

We hadn’t made it upstairs while looking at the home when we knew that this was the place for us. We went back to the Realtor’s office and wrote the contract and became the proud owner’s of what would ultimately become our new home.

We are often asked, Why Lynchburg? The simplest answer we can give is this is where the house is. When we found “the” house it happened to be in Lynchburg, a small city that has the charm of “small town America.” It is a great place to live where the people are friendly, the City officials go out of their way to assist you and the quality of life is great. We were fortunate to find “the” house in a great place. That was in the spring of 2003. The home wasn’t in bad shape and I foolishly thought I could have most of the restoration completed by the following summer (2004). Little did I know what was in store for me…