I feel overcome with nostalgic memories of bygone college days while driving through the collegiate town of Rock Hill, SC. I look forward to my visit at an almost on-campus bed and breakfast, and I’m anxious to hear the origin of the inn's unusual name.
The Book and The Spindle rests thirty minutes south of Charlotte, NC and caters to mid-week business travelers as well as week-enders seeking a rejuvenating oasis.
The Book and The Spindle, a two-story Georgian home overlooking the picturesque campus of Winthrop University, stands in the midst of Rock Hills's National Register historic district. Built for W. T. Claussen in the early thirties as investment property, the Winthrop College engineer didn't move his family into the house until the mid-forties. During the early years, the dwelling functioned as a boarding house for female professors, a studio for teaching cultural arts, and a tearoom.
The handsome colonnaded home, designed by the same architectural firm responsible for many of the historical buildings on Winthrop's campus, was transformed into a banner bed and breakfast in 1989 by Pam and Warren Bowen, current owners and resident innkeepers. The Bowens call their inn The Book and The Spindle in recognition of the positive impact Winthrop University (Book) and the local textile industry (Spindle) contributes to the community of Rock Hill. The name fits.
English-flavored ambiance, combined with a laid-back style of Southern living, yields an addictive atmosphere for engaging in a round of serious relaxation. Bold color schemes enliven rooms on the main floor, and unusual themes attribute atmospheric magnetism to the four guestrooms on the second floor. Two guestrooms qualify as suites: The Camden Room and The Charleston Room. Each suite includes a separate sitting area and a kitchenette complete with a microwave oven and a coffeemaker. All four rooms contain private baths and color televisions.
The Camden Room offers premium accommodations for discerning couples on-the-go. A queen-sized four-poster rice bed, a Queen Anne writing desk, a bow-front chest, and a settee tastefully accouter this roomy suite. Decorated in hunter green with ivory trim, a hunter's motif adds a touch of masculinity to the decor. Two English prints, featuring a fox hunt, grace the walls, and ornamental fox horn brackets keep plaid swags in place. A private, canopied porch adjoins The Camden Suite. Overlooking the Winthrop Campus, the porch provides a delightful spot for breakfasting.
When staying at The Book and The Spindle with children, reserve The Winthrop Room for them. Two elegant French beds grab one's attention upon entering The Winthrop Room. Hand-carved almost two hundred years ago, wooden screws remain functional in the antique walnut beds. Guests staying in this room, across from the Winthrop campus, enjoy listening to a mini-concert each day provided by a chiming clock in Winthrop's clock tower.
Each morn I awaken to find the morning paper slipped under my door. At the time I specify, I hear a gentle knock indicating the arrival of my breakfast. Still lazing about in my robe and slippers, I relax at my table while enjoying a hearty continental breakfast consisting of fruit-garnished cantaloupe, apple oatmeal, a stack of Canadian bacon, fresh lemon poppy bread, a crisp bagel with cream cheese and orange marmalade. And, of course, OJ and coffee. The tasty menu alters daily.
The Book and The Spindle rests thrity minutes south of Charlotte, NC and caters to mid-week business travelers as well as week-enders seeking a rejuvenating oasis.
INN: The Rock and The Spindle (AAA 3-Diamond rating); LOCATION: 626 Oakland Ave.Rock Hill, SC 29730 (close to Charlotte, NC); (803) 328-1913; ACCOMMODATIONS: 2 rooms, 2 suites (all with private baths); SMOKING: yes; RATES: $55--$70;BREAKFAST: Full; RECOMMENDED RESTAURANTS: Tam's Tavern Old Towne (803-329-2226), Stacy's Tavern (803-327-1080).
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