Historic farmhouse near Wauseon now a comfy bed & breakfast
WAUSEON — This small northwest Ohio town, named for a local Indian chief, was only 10 years old when the Wauseona Farms dairy farm opened in 1867.
The farm is long gone, but the historic house, modified and updated over the years, is now a comfortable bed-and-breakfast inn. Known as the Burr House, for the family who lived there for many decades, the B&B is now owned by innkeepers Dave and Cheryl Maxson.
The historic house has become a popular stop among visitors who have business in Fulton County or pass through on the Ohio Turnpike. The Fulton County Fairgrounds also hosts
This story is part of an occasional series profiling inns throughout the region. many events during the year that draw repeat guests to the inn, Cheryl Maxson said.
“Once I get a visitor who regularly travels from point A to point B, they always stay here when they’re traveling,” she said.
The Burr House benefits from being the only bed-and-breakfast in the area.
The inn is just a mile from the center of Wauseon and about 2 miles from the fairgrounds and turnpike, but it has a very rural feel. Other houses are nearby, but the inn’s large back patio and elegant indoor breakfast room look out over large farm fields.
The common rooms are spacious and comfortable, especially the living room, which has a fireplace, a piano and wellstocked bookcases. One shelf
holds 25 flags representing the home nations of all the visitors who have stayed at the inn.
“Europeans especially, when they travel, always think ‘bed-and-breakfast,’” Cheryl Maxson said.
The Burr House features four second-floor guest rooms.
The Maxsons have family and friends from Japan, and the Japanese Room is authentically furnished with Japanese-style accoutrements, including a tatami bed and futon, screens and other Asian-style decor.
The two-bed Fisherman’s Room is perfect for friends traveling together.
A bit frillier, but still comfy and cozy, are the pretty Elizabeth’s Room and Burgundy Room.
The second-floor rooms share bathrooms, Europeanstyle, but I’ve never found that to be a big issue, especially with prices that begin at a remarkably reasonable $84 per night.
Guests who have mobility issues or want a room for a special occasion can book the spacious first-floor Bridal Suite, which has a private bath.
Mornings at the Burr House begin with a hearty and delicious hot breakfast featuring main courses such as breakfast burritos or an unusual and tasty French toast casserole, made with fresh herbs from the inn’s garden.
The inn is also petfriendly, welcoming small to medium-sized dogs that are well-behaved.
While in Wauseon, visitors will find several interesting things to do and see.
Sauder Village in nearby Archbold is the biggest historical village in Ohio and the most popular attraction in Fulton County. The museum and re-created 19th-century village feature dozens of historic buildings, agricultural and other exhibits, and onsite professional artisans.
A new Fulton County Museum and Welcome Center is to open in the spring in Wauseon, across from the county fairgrounds. Designed to resemble the original county courthouse built in 1851, the museum is part of an innovative state/local project that also includes an emergencymanagement center and an Ohio Department of Transportation office. The museum will feature a timeline of county history with new and updated exhibits and displays, said museum Director John Swearingen.
The current museum, in a historic two-story 1868 Romanesque Revival building that housed Wauseon’s first high school, will close this fall as exhibits are moved to the new facility.
Plans are in the works to renovate and reopen the current building, which before becoming a museum had also served as a hospital, apartment building and private home. Rooms will be furnished to appear as they did during the house’s various incarnations, Swearingen said.
The building is also widely reported to be haunted and attracts many ghost hunters and aficionados of the supernatural, he said.
Visitors to Wauseon also can see the town’s historic 19th-century Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad Depot (not haunted, as far as I can determine) and the 1872 Fulton County Courthouse, an Italianate-style building topped with a lovely clock tower.
Rambling Red’s Brewing Co., which roasts its coffee and brews its beer, is a great spot for a bite or a sip near downtown Wauseon. And wine-lovers will find the Burr House to be a great base from which to explore the many wineries and tasting rooms in Fulton and adjacent counties.
Several holiday events are scheduled in Wauseon, including a Holiday Parade on Nov. 25 and Santa at the historic train depot Dec. 16-22.
The Burr House innkeepers, who are active in their church, opened the bedand-breakfast to provide a relaxing getaway for hardworking clergy members, Cheryl Maxson said. Pastors and missionaries still get a discount — but guests need not be particularly holy to feel blessed by a stay at the Burr House.