CHILLICOTHE – He’s dotted the “i” in Script Ohio – greater than as soon as. Discovered the resort enterprise out west. And now runs a B&B on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations.
“As a toddler,” recalled Drew Musser, “my dad and mom all the time taught me concerning the historical past of the realm. It all the time appealed to me. My brothers and I’d typically scour the plowed fields across the space in search of arrowheads and different artifacts of days passed by. We collected these treasures, and most of them I nonetheless need to at the present time.”
Larger nonetheless, right this moment Musser is co-owner and host, with spouse Steph Moore, at The Willis-James Mattress & Breakfast, now on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations.
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“The actual fact we wound up with the home is quite serendipitous,” he mentioned. “Within the fall of 2019, Steph and I had been touring round Chillicothe with my mom and stepfather. We stopped in entrance of 58 W. fifth St. to speak concerning the Historic Society throughout the road, observed a ‘For Sale’ signal within the entrance yard and had been curious to take a look at the previous home. Certain, the home had been uncared for however confirmed promise. We bought it, intent on performing some minor fixes and flipping it. After studying extra concerning the historical past of the house and those that constructed it, we vowed this piece of Chillicothe historical past wanted to be correctly preserved. We launched into what turned a 3-year restoration undertaking, full of surprises, tears, treasures and success.”
“As he mentioned,” famous his spouse Steph Moore, “this was not our lifelong plan. This wasn’t a dream we considered for many years. It simply form of occurred. The journey was thrilling, scary, fascinating, exhausting, and normally it simply felt proper!”
The home received its title, by the way in which, from Nathaniel Willis and Thomas James. Willis, initially from Boston and a participant within the Boston Tea Get together, got here to Chillicothe and constructed the house in 1805. James, president of the Financial institution of Chillicothe, purchased the house in 1812. Thus the title The Willis-James.
“Because the home had been a mattress and breakfast prior to now, we thought it made sense that it’s one once more,” Musser mentioned. “It was essential to us that if we had been going open our personal B&B, that we had been going to create the very best mattress and breakfast in Ohio, one thing for Chillicothe to be pleased with, one thing that provided greater than only a resort room.”
Musser was born in raised in Chillicothe, graduated from CHS in 1988, then went to Ohio State to main in English and historical past.
“Two of my desires as a toddler had been to grow to be a meteorologist and dot the ‘i’ in Script Ohio,” he mentioned. “Sadly, my lack of affection for math prohibited me from pursuing a level in meteorology, however I take into account myself a little bit of an beginner climate scientist, nonetheless. At Ohio State I turned a member of the marching band and through my 4th and fifth years within the band I achieved that childhood dream by dotting the “i” a number of instances. I’m, and can all the time be, a Buckeye at coronary heart!”
After commencement, Musser labored for Petland, Inc. Then on the age of 29 he moved to Vail, Colorado the place he labored as a gross sales supervisor at a luxurious resort. That’s the place he met Steph and so they each transferred with the corporate to Santa Barbara, CA, then again to Beaver Creek, CO.
They opened The Willis-James Mattress & Breakfast in October 2022.
“I hail from a big household,” Musser concluded. “Consequently, I like to be surrounded by folks. We totally take pleasure in internet hosting associates at our residence and really feel our life experiences have supplied us with the coaching to ship distinctive ‘resort-style’ customer support. It’s paramount to us that when somebody is a visitor at The Willis-James, they’re handled as our associates, and we’ll give them our full effort to supply the very best in lodging – in addition to an exquisite breakfast meal.”
The Willis-James Mattress & Breakfast is positioned at 58 West fifth Avenue in Chillicothe. For extra data, name 740-229-9019 or go surfing www.thewillisjames.com.
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Aces of Trades is a weekly collection specializing in folks and their jobs – whether or not they’re uncommon jobs, enjoyable jobs or individuals who take extraordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. When you’ve got a suggestion for a future profile, tell us at gaznews@nncogannett.com.
