Ever since the couple was married at a quaint bed-and-breakfast several years prior, they’d talked about owning their own someday. Captivated by the glorious history of the 29-acre property and enamored by its Monkton location, they looked beyond the aging farmhouse and envisioned a luxurious B&B. Soon afterward, they purchased the place.
Immediately, Nancy and Philip rolled up their sleeves and got to work, painstakingly restoring the house to its original grandeur while adding modern updates, from central A/C to wireless Internet. Philip acted as the general contractor; Nancy dove into the details. To fill in the gaps, they scoured the region for skilled artisans and unique odds and ends. In 2007, after untold hours of sweat equity and sleepless nights, Philip and Nancy proudly opened their beautifully restored 10-room bed-and-breakfast, Slade’s Inn, to the public.
“It was the first and only complete B&B restoration in Baltimore County. Because of that, we had a lot of eyes looking at us,” says Philip, referring to stringent zoning regulations and other persnickety requirements. In hindsight, he admits it wasn’t such a bad thing. “It forced us to do it correctly,” he says. Given the property’s rich history, anything less wouldn’t have done it justice.
When choosing the name for their B&B, Philip and Nancy sought to preserve a slice of that vibrant history. In 1746, William Slade built Slade’s Tavern on the property. George Washington is said to have stopped there for breakfast. During the Revolution, he and the Marquis de Lafayette apparently stayed in a small log house on the property.
Even before historical figures graced the property, it was considered a gem. The gently rolling hills and pastures once comprised part of My Lady’s Manor, a 10,000-acre tract bestowed by Charles, Lord Baltimore, to his fourth wife in 1713. In 1900, Slade’s Tavern was flattened, and a Victorian farmhouse, now Slade’s Inn, was erected.
That Nancy now owns a piece of the former My Lady’s Manor, also the name of one of Maryland’s most popular steeplechase races, seems fitting. An accomplished equestrienne, she has ridden in the Hunt Cup, a springtime rite-of-passage for Maryland’s horse set. The names of each guestroom, from the Master to the Chase, evoke images of the hunt. Pictures displayed on a mantelpiece show Nancy nuzzling a favorite horse. Up to five broodmares lazily graze on the property. A bucket of carrots and apples on the porch, along with a note inviting guests to feed the horses, greets visitors.
But if the horses don’t lure visitors, the house’s exterior calls for at least a double-take. Casting aside the austere white, Nancy went with a whimsical palette. Swathed mainly in a deep cornflower blue, the home also features sea-foam green accents and purple trim. Nancy admits that some community members, accustomed to the house’s former conservative color, initially found the scheme off-putting. “They were the only complaints I got about the house,” she says with a chuckle.
Stepping inside, it’s hard to complain about the décor. The main sitting room retains a traditional aura; details like extensive wainscoting, handsome woodwork, a large fireplace, and plush sofa create a cozy feel. The second floor guestrooms possess an understated elegance and old-world charm. Soft lighting showcases warm hues like pumpkin and gold, set against carefully appointed antiques. Though each of the rooms has a distinct look, the original oak flooring ties them together. High ceilings, liberal amounts of natural light, and a brighter color scheme lend a much airier feel to the third floor.
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