History of The Hambleton Inn Bed & Breakfast
This historic, mid-1800's waterfront shipbuilder’s home overlooks the Saint Michaels Harbour, the Miles River and the Chesapeake Bay. Hambleton Inn Bed & Breakfast was built by shipbuilder Edward Willey where he and his family of eight children resided in the mid-1800s adjacent to his boatyard, which is currently still operating as Higgins Boat Yard. It is reported that when Edward Willey was building a very large boat, so great in length, in fact, that his son’s bedroom window in this home had to be opened so that the bowsprit could go through it while being constructed. Edward Willey was a renowned shipbuilder in his time as there is evidence of his skills in the construction of his home and he became Town Commissioner of Saint Michaels in 1845.
Richard P. Beavers purchased this historic shipbuilders' home in October 2019 and have been making major restorations and improvements to it ever since. Being a contractor, Richard P. Beavers undertook a daunting task. With every day of this large project, there were new discoveries and repairs that required attention to make this home a luxurious respite for their guests to enjoy. Since the purchase, he has been in front of the historic commission seven times for approvals to restore this deteriorated, bastardized, neglected historic home back to the Victorian era and its original design intent when it was first built around 1840. He uncovered and exposed old beams carved by shipbuilders and unearthed numerous artifacts which include old elixir druggist bottles, Austrian porcelain, English china, crock pieces, glass pieces, apothecary bottles and coal which date back to the late 1800s. He replaced and exposed many of the architectural historic features that were removed or destroyed throughout the years. Most of the old bathrooms were demolished and rebuilt along with all new plumbing, electrical, HVAC, instant hot water heaters, and all the modern comforts one would expect in a high end Select Registry bed & breakfast.
It is now a luxurious modern and Victorian combination Bed and Breakfast , which rivals only the Inn at Perry Cabin. Every room has its' own ensuite bathroom with marble floors and walls that include large jacuzzi tubs and showers, new sinks, Carerra marble top vanities, brass plumbing fixtures, rain showers, large gilded mirrors, gold and crystal chandeliers, new toilets, plush towels, hairdryers, and complete sets of toiletries - new EVERYTHING. All rooms have new Victorian-style comforters and matching shams, new silky sheets, soft blankets, new pillows, custom wood blinds and draperies by Blue Willow Interiors, new antique furniture, oriental rugs, and new paint. Essentially, EVERYTHING has been updated, painted, cleaned, restored, refinished or replaced.
The old front porch and second-floor balcony have been completely overhauled with new windows and a waterproof membrane roof while creating a living area and new grand entrance. There is also a powder room off of the dining room accessible for guests. The waterfront area has a new expanded deck area and all new outdoor furniture and a fire pit for resting and relaxing with a glass of wine enjoying the water view and wildlife such as green heron, great blue heron, turtles, fish jumping, mallards, osprey and even a bald eagle. There are also two deep water boat slips where guests can cruise by boat to sightsee or even arrive by boat for their stay.
Guests arriving by land may park their vehicles in our private gated cobblestone parking lot for their entire stay and are able to walk to restaurants, shops, museums, and much more in the quaint historic town of Saint Michaels.
