Home. It’s a simple word with a complex meaning that many may define differently, yet everyone knows what is meant when it’s used. That word—that feeling—overwhelms visitors who cross the threshold of Beaumont Inn in Harrodsburg. There are the ubiquitous antiques and creaky floors, to be sure, but none of the cool detachment so sadly common among historical properties. Here, chairs beckon to be sat in and books entice readers, as cabinets filled with treasures tell the story of the former visionaries, students and family who created and nurtured this home for nearly two centuries. This is not a place to stop; this is a place to stay.
Situated on a gorgeous parcel of land near downtown, Beaumont Inn is a delightful surprise. The proximity to town suggests nature’s peace and tranquility might be sacrificed, but a turn off the main road at the giant sign directing visitors to a “Bluegrass Tradition Since 1919” dispels all concerns. “It really is beautiful here,” said owner Helen Dedman, who, along with her husband, Chuck, and son, Dixon, run the inn. Gesturing in the direction of the pool and a rolling expanse of lawn, she added, “In the summer, the porch there off the restaurant is always filled.” Summer, fall, winter or spring, it’s easy to imagine generations of patrons enjoying Beaumont Inn in their own way.
The storied history of the property begins in 1806, when the mineral-rich Greenville Springs yielded the Greenville Springs Spa, attracting visitors until roughly 1827. From 1830-1833, it was the site of the Christian Baptist School, though there appears to be little historical information about this institution. In 1834, it was purchased by James Harlan Jr., whose father, James Harlan Sr., was a fellow settler with James Harrod and had long since put down roots in the area. The younger Harlan became one of Kentucky’s most famous sons. A Centre College graduate, he studied law at Transylvania University, served as a Union soldier, and was Kentucky’s attorney general from 1863-1867. In 1877, he was appointed to the United States Supreme Court by President Rutherford B. Hayes, and his dissenting opinion in the Plessy v. Ferguson decision was a proud moment in the long, difficult battle to establish equal rights for all.
The path from spa to boyhood home to the Beaumont Inn of today is rooted in one category: education. From 1841-1916, the property was a school with various names, including The Greenville Institute—the original buildings of which burned down in 1851. That led to the construction of the beautiful, three-story brick manor now known as the Main Inn, which housed Daughters College and later Beaumont College. Each was a residential institution, where young ladies were exposed to a rigorous academic curriculum as well as religious studies.
“During the time of the Civil War, many Southern families sent their daughters here,” Helen said. “They could get them away from the fighting and from fever and sickness.” Local day students also could enroll and became, as she added, “the bread and butter of the school.”
The Dedmans are direct descendants of a former student at Daughters College, Annie Bell Goddard, who couldn’t bear to see her beloved school sold and pulled apart to build a proposed housing development. Annie, who was Chuck’s great-grandmother, graduated from Daughters in 1880, and, after the death of her first husband, returned for a handful of years in 1893 as a teacher and administrator at what was then Beaumont College.
By 1917, financial difficulties and the blossoming of the American public school system contributed to the school’s demise. Annie, who was then remarried to her first husband’s brother, Glave, attended the auction of the property intending to co-purchase it with a former classmate. Though behind in the bidding, the two were given an opportunity by the lead bidders to purchase the property. After the classmate balked, Annie and Glave became the owners. “When they bought it in 1917,” Helen said, “they weren’t really sure what to do with it.”
Annie and Glave moved in to the main building and set up housekeeping in a portion of the first floor. “They had a small kitchen and a coal stove,” Helen said, “and a bunch of old furniture.” The trickle of visitors began to steadily increase, and Annie soon saw the need for a more formal arrangement.
1 of 6
2 of 6
3 of 6
4 of 6
5 of 6
6 of 6
“Salesmen often came through to stay,” said Helen, “and then girls from the school would come back to show their families where they went to school.” These guests stayed overnight and were fed breakfast. According to Helen, Annie eventually pointed out that they were “going to have to start charging people, or they would go broke.” A beloved member of the school family, Hattie Parker Crutcher, was also a factor in the transformation of Beaumont from a guest-welcoming residence to a full-service inn.
“Hattie was the ‘fire girl’ at the college and had to light the fires in the girls’ rooms every day. She was actually blinded in one eye from a shard of wood,” Helen said. When a relative of Annie’s daughter, Pauline Goddard Dedman, wanted to have his out-of-town visitors fed dinner, Annie initially refused. But Hattie thought otherwise, and as Helen related, told her, “We can do that, Miss Annie.” From 1919, Beaumont Inn steadily developed into a world-class establishment.
Hand-hewn woods and richly woven carpets accent the antique-filled space in the Main Inn, and the twin staircases leading to the second and third floors are like the welcoming arms of a warm embrace. Annie’s teacher desk sits below photographs and artists’ renderings of former faculty and students, while family heirlooms and portraits fill cabinets and cover walls. The design of the space harkens back to its original purpose, as Helen described during a tour. “A porch ran along this whole side of the building, where girls could walk out for a breath of fresh air before class.”
The front desk enclave was the school library, and several of the original bookcases are still in use. In the large dining area, Helen pointed out how the earlier room divisions made for an efficient use of space. “This was divided into a dining room for the girls … Now we have a dining room with the kitchen behind it.”
On the second and third floors, former student rooms have been turned into gracious guest accommodations. All rooms maintain the historical aesthetic of the rest of the inn but provide the expected modern conveniences of cable television, Wi-Fi access and private bathrooms. Adjacent Greystone House offers four additional guest rooms, while Goddard Hall, directly across the street from the Main Inn, has 10 deluxe rooms. Built in 1931 and 1935, respectively, these buildings are replete with antiques and all the charm of the main house. Steps from Goddard is Bell Cottage, which houses the serene Kentucky Spa. Whether in need of a facial, massage or specialized hand and foot treatment, guests and locals can schedule some pampering at this charming rejuvenation station.
Beaumont Inn offers three eateries. The main dining room, a 2015 recipient of the America’s Classic Award from the James Beard Foundation, serves Southern classics such as its notable “yellow-legged” fried chicken, country ham and Southern-fried catfish, as well as salmon and steak. The inn’s Old Owl Tavern satisfies with both traditional and unique fare, such as fried green tomatoes, Hot Brown and stuffed bison meatloaf. Wine and spirits can be enjoyed in the adjacent Owl’s Nest, an English pub-style venue.
Several years ago, Dixon Dedman sought to restore the family’s distilling heritage, and in 2014, the first bottles of the Kentucky Owl label appeared. It, along with many other fine bourbons, can be enjoyed at Beaumont Inn as well as during one of the many bourbon tastings Dixon hosts.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the inn, and the Dedmans are celebrating in a typically welcoming manner. Although there will be an invitation-only gala on Sept. 19, Helen clarified that the goal for the 100-year celebration is to layer classic elements over the custom of sharing their history with their guests and treating them like members of the family. “We aren’t having a bunch of separate events for the 100-year anniversary,” she said. “We will have ‘classic’ days, where we offer different foods and things for our guests.”
Rich in history and comfort, the inn is a window to the past and a genuine connection to the family that has cared for it for more than a century. This sense of continuity is an integral part of Beaumont and what prompted one of its former charges to make the place her own so many years ago. “My husband’s grandmother went here, too,” Helen said, “and loved, loved, loved it.”
100th Anniversary Celebration
Beaumont Inn’s classic weekend celebrations are May 31-June 2 and July 19-21. Special menus, a wine-and-cheese reception, a storytelling session and a history lesson are part of what’s planned. For further information on the inn and its anniversary celebrations, visit beaumontinn.com.