Pride House, Jefferson

The Pride House has the distinction of being the first B&B in Jefferson and, according to the owner, the oldest in Texas. A gabled mansion built from a mail-order blueprint in 1888, the house had been badly damaged by fire when Sandy and Ray Spalding purchased it in 1978.

They meticulously restored the old home, and then---inspired by the spillover of customers at the Excelsior House---opened it to lodgers the next year. The Spaldings have since moved to Oregon, leaving managers Carol Abernathy and Christel Frederick to run the place. In addition to being personable, the innkeepers whip up a mean egg casserole.

The stick-style Victorian home (named after the Spaldings' son, Pride) is caramel colored with white gingerbread trim and stained-glass windows. The antiques found throughout come in a variety of styles, including Eastlake and country primitive. Behind the lodging's main house, which has six guest rooms, an expanded former servants' cottage offers four additional bedrooms, all with English country decor. Guests eat breakfast at comfortable tables in the main house.

Location: 409 E. Broadway, Jefferson

Related Page: Jefferson Index

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