The Dublin Citizen (Dublin, Tex.), Vol. 11, No. 43, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 28, 2001 Page: 16 of 32
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Cover Story
by KARA CARDEN
.0 hot os by A.Starr IR. Janoski
Even the exterior of the historic
Orth House Bed and Breakfast emanates hospitali-
ty. From the ornate, wooden sign in the yard to the
wreath on the front door, images of teddy bears
convey a welcome as hearty as hosts Lee and Mari-
lyn Lewis’ hugs.
A teddy bear seems an appropriate mascot for an
inn outfitted with antiques, velvet drapes, royal purple
carpet, pot-bellied stoves, and a blanket over every
sofa. The atmosphere is cozy and comfortable—just
like the dozens of plush teddy bears that line the
shelves and hallways of the Orth House.
The bear of honor—the one that sparked the
fetish—is a furry white creature dressed in a green
sweater, given to the Lewises as a wedding gift. Later,
when they redeemed an anniversary gift certificate for
a stay at a B&B that happened to be decked with teddy
bears, they considered it a sign and began a collection
that now fills their own 3,600-square-foot inn.
The Lewises dreamed of operating a B&B for near-
ly six years before they found the perfect property in
Jacksonville, Ore. (pop. 2,000). They’d detoured into
the small gold rush-era town on a whim during a
monthlong trip up the coast from their Southern Cal-
ifornia home. As they canvassed the downtown streets
lined with saloon-style, 19th-century buildings that
now house galleries, restaurants, and boutiques, “We
noticed this inn for sale," Lee recalls. “We talked with
the owners for hours and ended up staying the night.
Three weeks later, we called back and made an offer."
It’s easy to see how the two-story, red brick Ital-
ianate “villa" captivated the travelers. Built in
Page 6 • American Profile
1880 by John Orth, a successful businessman, it’s
one of 86 local buildings on the National Register
of Historic Places. Indeed, the entire town is a
National Historic Landmark.
Decorative tin ceilings, claw foot tubs, an ornate
maple staircase, original blown-glass windows, a picket-
ed front porch, and glossy wood floors are just some of
the features that give it a distinct Victorian character.
It was the combination of both house and town
that persuaded the Lewises. They'd evaluated many
areas for B&B potential and always found some-
thing lacking. But Jacksonville had all the right
ingredients: historical appeal and a May-to-Octo-
ber festival that attracts 65,000 people annually. It
also helped that the climate is relatively mild;
being located in Oregon’s “banana belt” means the
town rarely gets snow or below-zero temperatures.
“It had more positives than negatives,” says Lee, a
trim, energetic man who hefts luggage out of trunks
and car seats with the deftness of a teenager.
Marilyn («—fd Mt) and Lac (Kandhn) relax wfch pmtta.
*
Then in their late 50s, the Lewises encountered
much surprise from friends and family who expected the
couple to simply retire and not “take on all that work.”
“But I never saw it as ‘taking on all that work,’”
Marilyn says. “It’s a whole new lifestyle, something
we’d talked about and wanted to do.”
They quickly sold their house and moved north
to rural Oregon. “It was like a big door closed
behind us," Marilyn says. “One gal suggested we
might want to move back, but the thought of com-
ing back had never even entered my mind. I
thought if it doesn’t work out, if it’s really that
bad, then we’d move on and do something else.”
Learning the ropes
Unexpected surprises were part of the package for
the new innkeepers, despite realistic expectations
about the work involved in cleaning rooms, cooking,
and bookkeeping for a small establishment.
“There are a lot of unforeseen expenses," Lee says.
The previous owims had a figure in their minds that it
would take to refurbish the house, and it ended up being
three times that amount. It was the same with us.”
“Like carpeting the two front parlors,” Marilyn
interjects. “We didn’t expea to have to do that.”
Though the previous owners had made many
improvements, the Lewises wanted to bring the house
to even higher standards. They continued making
enhancements and by the second year had achieved a
prestigious Three Diamond status with AAA. The rat-
ings result from impromptu annual inspeaions and
indicate the level of service and amenities tourists can
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Thetford, Caris. The Dublin Citizen (Dublin, Tex.), Vol. 11, No. 43, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 28, 2001, newspaper, June 28, 2001; Dublin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth770356/m1/16/?rotate=270: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dublin Public Library.