This spot is VERY historic. The main building went up in 1815. In 1863, it would be used by the Confederates as a hospital.
Rooms 1-4 are said to be the rooms where amputations took place. I have read that room #1 specifically saw a lot of sawing. I have also read that it is haunted!So, after some debate with my wife..... We reserved room #1!
AND, we were the only couple in the Inn for the 3 nights (A Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday) we were there. PLUS, the staff told us they left at 6.... So, I think we were pretty much alone in the place!
I guess I should go ahead and get our "ghost story" out of the way.
You know I am generally skeptical about these things, but I do love a good ghost story. AND I do love strange history.
So, our first night at the Inn.... I am pretty sure it was right around midnight.... we both awoke to a strange noise! It sounded like rocks being shaken in a box!
I got up to check things out, wondering if I was finally having a REAL ghost experience!
BUT, as I looked around, I realized exactly what we had heard. When we checked in, the nice people at the Inn gave us a bottle of Champaign... in an ice bucket. As you probably know, ice often melts in the buckets, and then shifts.... We had simply been startled by the sound of the ice melting, and breaking, and the glass bottle of Champaign shifting around in the bucket.Oh well...... Still, we stayed in a very cool place, even without a ghostly experience. Let me tell you about it!
Upon check-in, we were given a glass of Champaign! We were then able to enjoy a rocking chair on the porch, for a few moments. I personally don't drink at all, but I figured I should enjoy this glass as part of the experience. I wasn't exactly able to finish less than half the glass... but I felt fancy.We were shown around a bit, and made our way to our room, which I thought looked even nicer than it appeared on the web site. It was open yet cozy. The bathroom was small, but very usable. There was a shower set up in a claw foot bathtub. Again, it was small, but it felt appropriate for an inn over 200 years old.
The hardwood floors were nice... and authentically squeaky. We did not mind at all. In fact, it really added to the feel of the place.
AND, I do want to say that our room was very clean and new. Yes, the inn had an extremely historic feel, but they were keeping the place up. There was a nice big TV in our room, a Keurig coffee maker, and our bed was clean and comfortable. We have seen some "historic" hotels who think that run down and outdated are part of their historic charm. That was not the case here. The place is classy.
Each morning we ate at 8 am. Again, we were the only couple here, but they still took care of us. We put in an entre order each evening. The next morning we would come down for breakfast. We had the same waitress two of our mornings (and I did not catch her name) but, like all of the staff we encountered here she was great. I had an omelet two mornings, and French toast one. My wife was happy with her egg whites.AND, again, not compromising, we had a great layout of fruits, juices, and breads to go with our meal. The Inn at Herr Ridge did not take any shortcuts just because of the fact that there were only two people there.
Like I said, the Inn at Herr Ridge is historic, and I wanted to soak that in while we were in Gettysburg. Sure, there was lots to see out in town, but I wanted some time to read, and to just enjoy being at the Inn.
There is a very nice reading area right outside of the rooms 2-4, in the new add on area, but just outside of the original structure. Slanted windows outside behind the chairs really made this a comfortable area. It was a hot few days while we were in Gettysburg, but that was OK, the A/C worked great in our room, so reading in bed before going to sleep was very pleasant.The Inn at Herr Ridge was an absolute winner on this trip. Check out my photos!
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