Property in Hot Springs, NC is hot. At least that is what Richard Bale and Mary Seaman decided when they embarked upon the Bright Leaf Junction project a few years ago. The area where the hotel and restaurant is located is comprised of two adjoining downtown historic buildings in the heart of Hot Springs, North Carolina. The original hotel was built in 1929 while the building that houses the restaurant is reported ot have been built prior to 1890 and is said to be one of the oldest commercial buildings in the county. The painstaking year-long restoration successfully preserved the unique character of the buildings as well as the original architectural details which include stamp0ed tin ceilings, elaborate cornice work, original skylights, plaster and lathe walls, transoms and heart of pine floors. For close to a century this downtown proeprty has served the citizens of Hot Springs and those traveling through the region as a hotel, boarding house, haberdashery and hardware store.
While the hotel is a destination unto itself, the town of Hot Springs has long been attracting visitors due to its ideal location set deep in the Blue Ridge mountains.
The major attraction in Hot Springs is the area's seemingly infinite and varied romantic settings and is why Hot Springs has become the number one choice in the tri-state area for destination weddings. Just a short scenic drive through the mountains will bring you from Asheville, Knoxville, Charlotte or Atlanta to the town and the possibilities that await.
I've never thought that property investment in little resort towns was fiscally responsible. But Mary Seaman and Richard Bale have made it work. Mary has a talent for decorating, relating to people, and she and Richard have enormous talent in hospitality. Enormous. That is why I say hats off to the owners of Bright Leaf Junction and wish them well on their relaunching. We know this project has enormous cash flow potential and hope that the drive toward "local" tourism fills them with all kinds of success.
- submitted by al fesperman
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I am so glad to read this review of BLJ. I was getting ready to do a write up on the food at Bright Leaf Junction and I was googling to see if others had anything to say and I agree with you 100%. This is a great duo to handle this exciting business in this odd town that reminds me of Northern Exposure's town of Cicily.
Post a Comment