I have dedicated some of this blog to my grandmother Peggy’s recipes that my dad found after her passing. I have made it a personal goal to try to make most of the dishes that I have inherited from her and it fits in nicely with my love for food and family. I don’t know that all of the dishes were featured at the Inn but I am going to believe that they found themselves on a table in one of the many dining rooms at least once. If you haven’t been here from the beginning then you might not know about the Inn so let me share with you what has been shared with me.
Hollymead Inn was owned and operated by Peggy and Joe Bute for more than twelve years. The Inn was the idea of Peggy Bute who was offered an opportunity to convert a large, over 200-year-old residence north of Charlottesville VA into an inn. It was the home of the owners of Hollymead Farm. The house had fallen into disrepair after serving as a student residence. Hollymead was initially constructed in the late 1700’s. The original structure was a log house constructed by hessian prisoners of war who were stationed in Charlottesville. These Hessian soldiers were part of the group captured by General George Washington in the Battle of Trenton following his Christmas crossing of the Delaware River. The original logs are still visible in the dining room which has been called the “Hessian Room” in honor of the men who built it. In the ante-bellum period of the house, additions were made including a grand dining room and a second floor with bedrooms (the central section of the house) and in the 1920’s a third and final addition was made to the house by the owners. Some graduates of the University of Virginia may remember having to go out to the house to meet with the then UVA Dean of Students during the 1960’s (Dean Runk) who lived and often held disciplinary meetings at his home. When the farm was acquired for a new housing development, the developer was left trying to figure out what to do with the property. He was friends with my parents and offered the house to them so that they could turn it into an inn.
After about a year-long renovation and repair effort, the inn opened for business and quickly achieved a reputation in the region as a place of fine, casual dining. The inn was recognized in numerous food and travel publications during the Bute’s ownership.
Update: The Inn has changed hands recently and has been renamed Hollymead House – follow their restoration progress and book a trip by visiting their page here.
I hope you enjoy the recipes and the blast from the past.
