It's not every novel that I get to use my own house as one of the historical settings! I'm very excited to be able to include my own home in WHERE THIS ROAD ENDS!
The John Jarrell Boarding House & Hotel was constructed in 1895, though the vehicle in the above picture indicates this is not the year of its construction. A large barn still exists in the back of the property, built to accommodate boarders' horses and carriages. John and Mary Jarrell purchased two lots in 1893 upon which to build their hotel, paying $425.00 for the property. The hotel opened for business in 1895, after its completion. The dining room was often used for parties, dinners, and receptions.
My husband and I bought this house in 2015 and have been slowly working on improvements and renovations. It still boasts push-button and turn-knob electrical switches, doors with brass numbers still attached, and the original wood floors (which are a little worse for the wear). I love knowing that the place I call home is rich with history, that hundreds of people have come and gone through its doors through the years, and that among them was the singing cowboy Roy Rogers, who printed T-shirts in the second level of the barn which still stands in our back yard.
Two summers ago I began work on repainting the exterior of the house, and found it interesting to scrape off layers of paint of various colors, dating back to the very beginning of the house's construction. If the walls could talk, I often wonder what stories they could tell!
Below is a picture of what the house looked like when we purchased it. If I ever finish the new paint job, I'll share an update!
This is the barn which formerly housed horses and buggies, and now hold's Ben's tools, a ping-pong table, an air hockey table, and an assortment of furniture which I plan to one day refinish.
The room I currently use as my office once served as the office for the boarding house, as indicated by the stencil on the door.
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 | There are still brass numbers tacked to the bedroom doors, with the exception of the room which was converted into a bathroom. It is assumed to have been the maids or servants' quarters as it had a staircase connecting it to the kitchen below. It was blocked off when the shower was installed, and it is now used as another closet in my kitchen. The electrical switches in the house are eclectic, some modern, some push-button, some turn-knob. It only adds to its charm!
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