The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Building on history
Steele Mansion celebrates five years, looks ahead to more
June 2 will make five years since Carol Shamakian and her husband, Arthur, opened Steele Mansion, 348 Mentor Ave., Painesville, as a bed and breakfast and event center.
“We decided to originally open on June 2 because it was George Steele’s birthday,” Carol said.
“That was my way of giving him one heck of a birthday present.”
Prior to their purchase in December 2010, the historic building had fallen into disrepair and was at risk of being demolished. In the time since, the Shamakians have made efforts to return the structure to its former repute while also bringing it into contemporary times.
They worked to repair the building, which was heavily damaged by a 2001 fire. Ironically, the third floor, where the fire originated, proved to be the least of their issues.
“Quite honestly, the third floor burned off, and that was just like new construction,” she said.
“That was one of the easiest parts because we didn’t have to work around something that was already there. We got the roof on in the first year. That was a good feeling.
“The second year we started work on the wings, and that was a lot more challenging.”
Shamakian explained how the wings were in far worse states than the front of the building when they purchased Steele Mansion.
“The more we worked on (one of the wings), the worse it got. After a couple of months, it collapsed. Three seconds and the whole thing was gone. What’s here now pays homage to the original.
“It’s on the same footprint, has the same window sizes and position.”
“Over the course of the years, we’ve continued to refine the rooms and the décor. … It’s a continuous process of always making things better. I’m never happy with the way things are.”
— Carol Shamakian, Steele Mansion owner
Despite the initial setback, she said she takes pride in the eventual improvement she was able to make to the wings and in that she used businesses and materials from Lake County where she could. She and Arthur also worked to add the building to Ohio’s historic registry.
“That’s a difficult process, but we thought it was just as important to get on the historic registry for the next 150 years it’s alive. This way, it will have protection when we’re not in the picture anymore. It was a long-term plan for Steele Mansion.”
One of the unique aspects she has continued to develop over the past five years they’ve been open for guests is the individualization of the guest suites. Each room’s décor, name and theme are a tip of the hat to the history tied to Steele Mansion. More obvious nods are the George Steele Suite and the Sarah Steele Room. And then there’s the Equestrian Room, which highlights the legacy nearby Lake Erie College shares with horse riding.
“Some people like to try different rooms each times,” she said.
The Amelia Earhart Room is, or course, named for the the historic female pilot. Earhart visited Painesville shortly before her ill-fated attempt to fly around the world.
These titles are more than names, with the Earhart room being adorned with aviation affectations such as wall-mounted propellers. Other rooms, including the Railroad Room, pay homage to the nearby rail lines and feature accents such as a caboose stove.
Other rooms, such as the Domino Room, The Aviary Suite, The Fernery, and Peacock Room, are tied to broader themes that were in vogue at the time of the building’s original inception.
“Over the course of the years, we’ve continued to refine the rooms and the décor,” she said. “It’s a continuous process of always making things better. I’m never happy with the way things are.”
Stepping into a new business five years ago, she was open to suggestions and adjustments as they continued to grow.
“There was some finetuning some amenities to the rooms. Some of the things I thought people would like they didn’t care about, other things I found out that they wanted. During
the first couple years, it was a matter of fine-tuning the things to make sure it was exactly what the people wanted.”
As it has been for so many small-business owners, their latest challenge has been dealing with the fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social-distancing precautions.
“We were able to operate as (an) essential business,” Shamakian said. “Our events and food service had to shut down, but the hotel was able to continue. It became an interesting cross-section of people trying to get here and there.
“One guy proposed. He made the reservation months ago, and he wasn’t going to let a pandemic stop him from proposing. We set a nice romantic dinner, and he popped the question.”
Despite the challenges throughout their initial purchase and the five years since opening, they’ve continued to adapt and look forward.
“I’ve enjoyed the adventure. It’s not just a project we started. It’s not just a business. It’s been eyeopening. I’ve learned so many things and met so many people.”